


The Nerd Who Didn’t Like Musicals

by TheWritingDork, what_in_the



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Autistic Michael Mell, Brainwashing, Half Follows The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, Infection, Lyric Fic (Kinda), Memory Loss, Multi, Musical, Musipocalypse, Nano Technology - Freeform, Original Broadway Cast, Referenced/implied child abuse, Service Animals, Severe Injury, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals - Freeform, Trans Jeremy Heere, but not, drugged drinks, hivemind - Freeform, includes songs, like a zombie apocalypse, mental manipulation, more tags to be added as needed, musical apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:54:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23674180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingDork/pseuds/TheWritingDork, https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_in_the/pseuds/what_in_the
Summary: Jeremy has disliked musicals since he was little. Normally, that wouldn’t be a massive issue, he could just avoid them and duck out of his drama club when they were planning on doing them. He never expected to be stuck in one.When their town suddenly is plunged into an apocalypse like no other, Jeremy and Michael will have to rely on their wits and the ever dwindling group of survivors to make it out of this not singing. Together, they must find a way to save Middleborough and stop it’s nigh on zombified residents from infecting the whole world!With time running out and the odds stacked against them, can the boys stop the infection and save everyone? Or will their show continue long after curtain call?
Relationships: Christine Canigula/Brooke Lohst, Dustin Kropp/ Original Male Character, Jeremy Heere/Michael Mell, Rich Goranski/ Jake Dillinger
Comments: 17
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey lovelies! What’s this? Another fic so soon? Well in light of everyone being stuck at home and the pandemic getting everyone down, we thought it might be nice to have something extra to read during these trying times. Besides, I’ve been super hyped about this story for ages.  
> This one is a bit of a departure from anything we’ve ever tried. And by that I mean we actually wrote songs for it. Now we’re not lyricists, not even close, but I think we did a pretty good job. For the most part we tried to adjust the songs to fit our story, and changed up the lyrics where needed, but there are a few original songs or snippets of songs in there too! That’s right, lovelies, we actually did some actual songwriting. Or at least we wrote the words for them.  
> With that in mind, I hope you all give this story a chance. It might seem a bit out there, but so is The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. Also you would not believe how hard it is to choreograph dance numbers in prose, seriously.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person :3c  
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> So, this fic is very near and dear to my heart. After watching The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (it had been sitting in my recommended feed on YouTube for FOREVER), I was in love with this show. I thought about the similarities between that and Be More Chill and thought it would be great to write! So I asked Mara if he had seen it and got him on that so we could write this.  
> There is inspiration from this and we use all the songs in some way, but we have rewritten them and the scenes to fit Jeremy, Michael, and the gang's situation. This fic had so much put into it since we rewrote songs and just- Augh! I love this fic so much and I hope you do too.  
> Also, if you don't want spoilers for TGWDLM, you should watch/listen to that first before this fic. The album isn't long, the show is less than 2 hours, and it's SO good and iconic.  
> ALSO ALSO, there will be links before each musical segment starts so you can see/compare/reference/etc. whichever song/musical number is going to happen.  
> But anyway, enough of my rambles. Enjoy the fic! ❤️
> 
> Here’s a link to the musical! Check it out, it’s awesome! https://youtu.be/IrxKX44qBJ0

Jeremy was sick.

Food poisoning had left him bedbound and needing to be taken care of, but it was the weekend so he didn't have to worry too much under normal circumstances.

Except this particular weekend happened to have the final performance of the school play. Jeremy was a lead, and he was stuck in bed. Shimizu was gonna kick his ass when he was next in.

Because his dad was kinda useless downstairs and checking on him occasionally, Michael had volunteered to do the whole babysitting sort of job. He was flicking through the notebooks strewn around on Jeremy's desk.

“I told you not to eat those chilli fries from that new mall court place. Never venture to the savory so quickly,” Michael said as he flicked through one of his poetry notebooks. “Plus, I didn’t see half of those people wearing gloves.”

"Yeah, I know I'm an idiot." Jeremy huffed. He couldn’t say anything since this was entirely (mostly) his fault. "Those chilli fries were totally worth it though."

“You said they didn’t even taste that good but that you weren’t going to waste food or your money by not eating it all,” Michael deadpanned.

“Chilli fries are chilli fries, my dude.” Jeremy shrugged, trying to keep his head despite the now mini panic coursing through him. Michael was looking at his small leather book mixed in with the others.

That was his poetry composition book, specifically the one containing his love poems about Michael. No one was supposed to see that!

“And you’re a dumbass. I call you a dumbass because I care,” Michael mused, leaning back in Jeremy’s desk chair as he seemed to stop at a page and really read it. Oh, if there truly was a God, please save him now! Michael couldn’t read Jeremy’s deepest bisexual thoughts about him!

Either God didn’t exist or just didn’t care because Michael let out a soft gasp. “I didn’t know you wrote super gay poetry, Remy. You were holding out on me! The hell!”

“I haven’t shown anyone yet! I wasn’t ready to come out as bi ye-“ He smacked his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Double shit. He was outed for sure after that, and Michael might suspect the subject of the poems was Michael himself!

“Oh shit, congrats! I need to get you a bi flag to match with your trans flag now,” Michael cheered as he spun in the chair. “I’d say that I need to also take you out to celebrate or order food, but yeah, no.” 

Wait... was he safe? “Did you write these to get your bi energy out? I see you wrote a few different male-centric pieces, but not really any female-centric ones.”

It was both a blessing and a curse that Michael was so oblivious to stuff like this, and today it was certainly like a blessing.

"Er, yeah. Everyone already knows I'm attracted to girls, but I had to deal with the whole male-attracted stuff separately." So he didn't tip Michael off about the huge crush he'd been harbouring for about two years now. Everyone thought he was pining for Christine when, in fact, his other childhood friend had just been helping him deal with his massive, Michael sized problem of a crush. Christine was the only one to know that Jeremy was bi, and she had been the biggest help.

Michael hummed as he nodded, putting down the book before going and sitting next to Jeremy on his bed. “Sorry I rushed you coming out to me but thank you for telling me. I’ll keep it a secret and I won’t get you that bi flag until you’re ready to be out, at least until you’re ready to tell your dad. He’d question the bi flag.”

Jeremy reached out and took Michael’s hand, squeezing it. “Maybe it’s time I do come out. Telling you was a relief, so... yeah.” He shot Michael a small smile.

The smile Michael gave Jeremy made his heart skip a beat. “Well, I’ll be here and I’ll help you however you think is best. I’ll be as quiet or as loud as you need me to be.”

Jeremy hummed before pulling out his laptop. It was about time anyways. “Well why don’t we tell the cast on the call?” Michael didn’t know about the call Jeremy had planned, but he also knew Michael wouldn’t stick around in it for long anyways.

Michael raised a brow as he checked his phone for the time. “Shouldn’t they be, like, practicing before the show? Or be between shows right now?”

“Warm ups now. That’s why I arranged for Marshal to keep Shimizu busy.” Jeremy grinned, opening Discord.

Michael hummed, and Jeremy understood. He didn’t really know anyone who would be in the call except for Dustin and Christine. Well, he knew Jenna too, but he didn’t know anyone else in the cast or crew. “Well, I’ll quickly be in the call before slithering away.”

Jeremy waved him off. “Didn’t expect you to be in long, don’t worry. I know you’re not big on people.” Jeremy started the call and Christine answered straight away. “Yo, Chrissy!”

Christine beamed in her costume as she waved at Jeremy. She then proceeded to wave people over as she seemed to adjust her phone. “Hey Jere! How are you feeling?”

“Better. Haven’t hurled in about... two hours?” He looked over to Michael for confirmation.

Michael nodded before getting into the shot and waving. “Yeah, he’s doing better.”

“Oh, Michael, hi!” Christine waved again with a big grin on her face.

“Wait, Michael’s there?” Dustin asked before popping in, wearing his headset for tech stuff. “Yo.”

“Hey, Dustin.”

“I gotta go, so bye Michael.” Dustin saluted with a small grin.

“I do too,” Michael said with a salute of his own, being sure to wave when Jenna came into frame before promptly rolling off of the bed.

Jeremy rolled his eyes fondly before turning back to the cast and crew. “So, Chrissy, any progress with Shimizu? He said he’d give the verdict on Hamilton today.”

Christine frowned and shook her head. “He said that Hamilton shouldn’t be considered a musical because of rap. Even if I’m not a huge fan of Hamilton, it broke so many molds and made rap acceptable in mainstream theater! It did so much good.” She then deflated with a whine as Jenna patted her shoulder. 

“He _did_ hint at Little Shop of Horrors though. I’d think you’d make a good Seymour, Jeremy,” Jenna posed. 

Before Jeremy could answer, he saw Michael holding up some paper he must’ve crawled over and grabbed. On it, Michael wrote in big letters with a black Sharpie ‘BORING THEATER NERD TALK!’

Oh, he was so getting it for that. “Nah.” Jeremy grinned. “Michael would make a _way_ better Seymour. Besides, I’m probably not gonna perform. Might just skip it next time if I’m honest.”

Michael just flipped him off before flopping back on the floor. “Maybe you can do tech with Dustin or try for one of the stage crew roles,” Christine offered while Michael crawled off somewhere in Jeremy’s peripheral.

Jeremy shook his head. “Nah, I don’t really like musicals anyway. I was just hoping for Hamilton for Jenna since she wanted to play Angelica.”

“Well I know that, but I’m just saying, you could do stage crew to help and get the experience,” Christine clarified as Madeline came over to do her makeup and hair.

Jeremy shook his head again. “Nope. No way. Not having anything to do with musicals, thanks. I’ve already had my fill for a lifetime.”

Before anyone could ask, there was a knock on the dressing room door. “Hey guys, Shimizu’s coming,” a voice, Marshal, hissed. Christine dove for her phone then, ignoring Madeline’s squawk as she waved before hanging up.

“Well, that certainly was dramatic,” Michael called from the beanbag pile.

“If Shimizu caught us he’d say that if I’m healthy enough for a call, I’m healthy enough for a curtain call.” Jeremy huffed. Shimizu pissed him off, hence why he always found ways around his rules or restrictions.

“Well that’s bullshit.” From the pile, Michael huffed before he sat up. He was really antsy today, continually having to move. “Why do you still do theater here if he’s so shit?”

“Where else am I gonna get to do acting?” Jeremy asked with a shrug, putting away his laptop. “Everywhere else does musicals, and you _know_ why I refuse to do them.”

“Not _everywhere_ around here does musicals,” Michael mused as he got up and walked around. “Though you’re so valid as to why you don’t wanna do them.”

Jeremy shivered at the memory. “Everywhere else always does at least one musical a year. Believe me, I looked. So not doing that. Besides, I know how to navigate Shimizu.”

“Whatever you wanna do then, just suggesting,” Michael said before eventually settling down on Jeremy’s bed.

Jeremy held out his arm. “Get your butt over here, Mikey. I need cuddles because I’m not feeling well,” he demanded pathetically. He also gave Michael puppy eyes, just because he knew they were both weak to puppy eyes from the other.

“Forewarning you that I’m full of restless energy right now,” Michael murmured as he held out his arms before letting Jeremy fall against him. “I’ll cuddle as best I can only because you pulled the puppy eyes on me. Little shit.”

“As if you don’t do the same, you fucking hypocrite.” Jeremy snorted, getting comfy with a happy sigh. “You’re snuggly.” Michael was always great to cuddle with, and as much as Jeremy wished he could do it non-platonically, he would take any sort of hugs he could get. Michael hugs were clearly the best.

“And you’re sweaty and gross. You need to clean yourself up, especially if you’re forcing yourself to go to school tomorrow,” Michael bluntly said despite wrapping his arms around Jeremy.

"Very true,” Jeremy agreed. "And I will. Later. For now, I'm comfy and you're the ideal snuggle buddy." He closed his eyes, content. "You're my favorite person, Mikey." In more ways than Michael realized.

“And you’re my favorite person,” Michael echoed, gently giving Jeremy a squeeze before he relaxed too. God, if only he meant it in the same way that Jeremy did.

Even so, Jeremy would take what he could get. He'd just uselessly pine and write out his feelings in his poems. And if Michael never found out, well that was okay. Jeremy would just be the best friend he could be.

  
  
  


Jeremy sighed as he hiked up his backpack, ready to navigate the dangerous halls of school. Why he opted out of skipping today was a mystery.

Slipping on his headphones as he walked from the bus ramp, Jeremy set his usual playlist on as he mentally prepared himself. He didn't like crowds.

[He was about halfway to his locker when he heard it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoBUHfH2DyY) It sounded like someone plucking out an awesome baseline on a bass guitar. Where was that coming from?

Pulling off his headphones, he looked up and around, but the sound seemed to be coming from everywhere.

Suddenly, the crowds parted and showed someone familiar at the end of the hallway. It was Mara, the guy that helped him choose his binders. They talked sometimes at GSA but he'd been busier since becoming head of the Eco club.

" _Yeah-yeah-yeah!_ " Wait, what? Was he _singing_?

Jeremy went to ask what the _hell_ was happening with Mara, going over to him, but was cut off as Mara turned away from Jeremy. “ _Just a typical day that’s got me feeling in a beautiful way. No rhyme or reason._ ” He turned, smiling brightly at Jeremy before taking his hands. “ _We could sing a duet-_ “

Jeremy yanked his hands away. Not happening. This couldn't be happening. " _Dance a style or two._ " Mara didn't seem put off, instead going around behind Jeremy and leaning against his backpack, winking at him. " _Or I'll make you a bet. Just a smile will do!_ ”

He pulled back from Jeremy’s backpack, taking the arm of the Writing Club’s president, Ari, and did a back-and-forth sort of dance with her. How many people were involved in this?! “ _Sometimes I just wanna shout on top of roof and mountain tops. All the world is paved in gold._ ” He let go of Ari’s arm, letting her join some of the other students that were starting to dance in this sort of... flash mob. “ _Yesterday is retrospective, got myself a new perspective. I strut it up and down the road._ ”

Mara rested his head against Ari's shoulder for a moment. " _So I throw out my worries, and my old pains away._ ” He spun to the side, throwing out his arms dramatically. " _Doing what I want to, on this la dee dah dah day!_ "

Suddenly everyone in the hallway looked over to Mara and smiled. " _La dee dah dah day._ ” Were they _all_ singing?!

Mara started scooting around Jeremy playfully. " _La dee dah dah, La dee dah dah, La dee dah dah day!_ "

Everyone else basically echoed what Mara was singing, and Jeremy was honestly freaked. What the hell?! This was _not_ what he needed right now. 

Thankfully, Jenna was walking by just as they seemed to stop talking. “What a fucking weird campaign,” he murmured because what the hell else would that be? 

Jenna looked over at him, up from her phone, with a curious look. “Hey Jeremy, how are you feeling? Better than yesterday?”

"Yeah but no." Jeremy shook his head. "I'm freaked. This is crazy, right?" Surely Jenna would understand, maybe help him deal.

She just shook her head, pocketing her phone. “No way, I’ve dealt with way crazier,” Jenna said, walking over to stand in the middle of the flash mob.

“ _’Cause I didn’t have friends or somewhere to belong-_ “ Oh god, not Jenna too! “ _-and now all that ends. It’s finally fair._ ” Wait, what?

Before Jeremy could question or really process, Jenna moved on with her song. " _All alone before, and now I've got you._ " This was making Jeremy sad despite the upbeat melody. Jenna came over and hugged Jeremy quickly before hugging Mara and Ari. " _I'm all loved and more! And the day's not through!_ " Better but she was still singing.

She walked across the hall, from those two to Jeremy, as she sung. Ari, Mara, and some others were nodding along with what Jenna was saying with big grins. “ _I used to want to cry and crawl to someone who’d see me for once just so someone would really see me._ ”

Jeremy couldn’t help but, when Jenna said that in his face, stare with wide eyes as he let out a saddened, “What?”

Again, Jenna continued, doing some weird choreography, and Ari and Mara were dancing along with her. " _But now people actually care. They sung my praise, they liked my hair, and finally, I feel so free!_ "

Everyone who was singing in the background before now started to sing that ‘la-de-dah-dah’ shit as they circled around Jeremy, clapping their hands together as they did so. He tried to crawl to the side, out of this circle, but no one let him go. Jeremy tried the other way to no avail.

As Jeremy stood, the circle stopped and Mara stepped away a little. Jeremy was too freaked to try to make a run for it.

" _La dee dah dah day!_ " he sang and even if Jeremy was freaked, he could appreciate how well that note was held. Everyone moved to pose around Jeremy, looking off to the same random point, joining in for the final note. They froze, big smiles, before dispersing, some still humming or singing quietly. Everyone seemed to be moving to the same beat of the song still.

Jeremy was seriously freaked out. He hoisted his backpack up higher and started picking at his sleeves. "So... that just happened... alright, OK, mhmm." He needed to find Michael.

He quickly dashed to get to Michael’s locker. Hopefully he’d be at school by now. 

Thank god Michael kept his schedule perfect for these kinds of things. He had his headphones on as he drummed in the air, humming along to the familiar tune of Green Day. He stood in front of his locker, obviously finishing the song before he did anything else.

Oh thank god, Jeremy didn't think he could take anymore of that la dee dah shit. He'd most likely have a breakdown. He tried to ignore the dance that seemed to be building once more, focusing solely on his best friend. "Michael!"

Michael held up a finger as he continued to drum in the air with his other hand. He stopped drumming, grabbed his headphones, and pulled them down before smiling at Jeremy. “He- oh, you look like ass. I told you that you shouldn’t have come today. Do you, like, need a ride back home?”

That sounded good. Jeremy had to get away from here, school had gone crazy! Or well, crazier than normal.

"Please." Jeremy nodded. "Everyone is singing and dancing and it's freaking me the fuck out, man. I need some fresh air and normality."

Michael raised a brow at that, glancing around and catching none of the building dancing. “Um... yeah, whatever you say, Remy. You need to rest up,” he instructed, patting Jeremy’s head before taking his keys back out. “I honestly didn’t feel like coming today either, so thanks for the excuse.”

How the fuck was he missing it? Something was freaking Jeremy out about it more than it might normally though. As he looked around, every movement was in perfect sync, even students who were outside in the parking lot that he could see through the window. This was more than a flash mob. This was bad.

"Let's go now, please,” he begged.

“Alright, come on.” Michael started to lead the way to the student parking lot, putting his headphones back on all the while. He started up his music again, shutting his eyes as he danced and moved along to the music. Somehow, he was avoiding all of the other students as they danced and moved. The hell?!

Whatever. Jeremy heard a terrifying sound from behind him. " _Do you wanna save the planet?_ " Jeremy glanced over his shoulder and yeah, that was the sound of the cheerleading captain. Shit! She and her whole team were dancing their way down the hall, right at him and Michael!

" _Of course you want to save the planet!_ " Everyone joined in again. Fuck. Jeremy grabbed Michael by the backpack and tugged him to the side, somehow not disrupting his jam to American Idiot (don't ask how he could tell, he just knew). The cheer squad passed harmlessly, but they weren't out of the woods yet.

“ _Do you want to save the planet?_ ” the captain cheered again as Jeremy tried to lead Michael away from this. He knew where Michael parked and Michael had learned to let Jeremy redirect him when he was jamming out. Right now, Jeremy was really happy that Michael and him had this system worked out. 

“ _There’s just one way you can do it,_ ” everyone else cheered, dancing back their way.

" _By singing a song!_ " 

" _Singing a song._ " They were harmonizing now. This was getting worse by the second!

" _Singing along!_ "

The music, which had been coming from nowhere, suddenly cut off and it was just everyone singing, " _La,_ " " _Dee,_ " and, " _Dah,_ " in an almost operatic way. People were doing graceful jumps from one side of the hallway to the other, and Jeremy had to use all his video game skills to judge who would and how to avoid them.

Mara stepped forward, belting his heart out with, " _La dee dah dah... da-ay!_ " as he posed with everyone around Michael and Jeremy. Michael, still none the wiser, was drumming away in the air before everyone broke off, obviously content with what just happened, except for the occasional wave of their hand to cool themselves off and the complaining about needing to change for the next scene.

They were so close to the door now, Jeremy could smell freedom freedom from this tailor-made hellhole torture house, when he felt a hand grab his arm.

He squawked, which seemed to be enough to alert Michael since he slipped his headphones off as Jeremy looked over and saw Christine. 

“H-hey Chrissy," Jeremy panted. He was exhausted and probably looked a mess by now.

"Hey Jeremy," Christine chirped while Michael yelped.

"Oh my god Remy, what the hell?"

Jeremy waved his hand at Michael as he tried to get his breath back, doubling over. "T-tell you in the- the car. Whew." He looked up at Christine. "What's up Chrissy? I'm not-" He gulped a little. "-not feeling well still, so Mikey's taking me home." All true. Jeremy was starting to feel sick. He really didn't like musicals and with the music from nowhere and the too perfect 'flash mob,' he was starting to really freak out.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Christine said, her eyes softening as she looked between them. "Before you go, Shimizu wants to talk to you real quick."

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't think I'm gonna last that long, Chrissy. I'll see him tomorrow."

"He's going to reprimand you even worse if you don't come now, especially since people'll probably tell him that you were here today," Christine pointed out, sympathy in her eyes. "It'll be quick, just a few minutes."

"You didn't see how sick he was yesterday, Christine."

"Just five minutes?"

Jeremy was about to respond that no, he couldn't even make five more minutes in this cursed place, when his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Christine had what looked to be pollen around her nose and even a little on the corner of her mouth. He started fumbling for his bags. She was allergic and could get serious problems if she didn't have her pills. 

"Holy shit, Chrissy. You're covered in pollen! Here, I always carry some pills with me!"

Christine looked confused for a second before wiping at her nose. "Oh, that's just dust and stuff from helping take down the set," she reassured Jeremy, waving him off before reaching and taking Jeremy's hand. "Come on."

Michael took a step forward then, putting his own hand on top of Christine's. "Look, he _really_ doesn't feel good. Chrissy, let him deal with it tomorrow with a note from his dad."

"Please, Chri-" Christine tugged and Jeremy stumbled forwards enough that she could just keep him moving. "Wh- what the hell?" Since when was she so strong?

"He'll be back in five minutes, I promise you that, Mikey!" Christine assured, quickly taking Jeremy down the hall. God, she was spry, but how was she so strong right now?!

"I'll have my car right outside the auditorium door," Michael said, worry evident in his voice. "The door'll be unlocked for you."

"Thanks!" Jeremy managed to call as they rounded a corner. What the hell was happening? Christine hated helping out Shimizu, he was too much of an elitist for her taste. Why was she doing this fetch quest for him?

Jeremy didn't even have time to really think about it before they arrived at Shimizu's office and he was pushed inside, with Christine shutting the door behind him. Well shit. Might as well get this over with. 

"You, er, wanted to see me Mr. Shimizu?"

He didn't even really respond to Jeremy, his face hidden behind his desktop monitor. Shimizu was typing away, as if he hadn't heard Jeremy come in. Either that or he was _extremely_ pissed… Oh god.

["Mr. Shimizu?"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbrKWaaUs20) Jeremy said a little louder, and he almost screamed when his teacher's face popped up from behind the monitor. He had a monstrously large grin (he almost never smiled) and his eyes were sort of glassy. Jeremy was very much wishing to leave, but it was too late.

" _What do you want, Heere?_ " he asked, shifting his head to rest in the palm of his hand, legs crossing over one another as he looked at Jeremy expectantly.

"Excuse me?" Jeremy squeaked. Oh god, the teachers had it too.

" _Tell me what you desire to say. Your deepest intent Heere._ " Shimizu looked so happy and engaged and it was so fucking creepy. " _What do you see for next year's play?_ "

"I mean, I'm not really thinking that far ahead-"

" _I'm looking with someone with motivation to give our ratings elevation. Someone to share with precise precision their thoughts, 'cause I want you to want_ ." Shimizu's face shifted in time with the brief instrumental that somehow started when his teacher started singing. Somehow, the happier Shimizu looked, the more horrified Jeremy was. " _To want._ "

Shimizu stood and started walking around his office, except it wasn't his usual quick pace or even his lurking stalk when he was trying to catch students out. No this was exaggerated and weird, using his arms in time with his legs, like a puppet but smoother.

"What do you want, Mr. Heere? What is your singular goal that motivates everything you do?" he asked, that disturbing smile still on his face.

Even if Jeremy was freaked, the question still threw him. "Uh, what? How the hell am I supposed to know that? I'm sixteen!"

His teacher's hands rested on his shoulders suddenly, causing him to jump. "If you don't know, then how is anyone going to be able to identify with you, relate to you and your plights, Mr. Heere?"

"I mean, I don't care about that... " That was a lie. "Well, much. I guess I want Mic- I mean, money, food-" He almost outed himself to the teacher. Shit what was going on? What was happening to him? He normally wouldn't even say a word beyond the basic answer for Shimizu.

" _I want you to want, Heere._ " Shimizu patted his shoulder with one hand before he started walking around his office again. " _A man so vague just can't be quoted. Something you hold dear. Is there someone to whom you are devoted?_ " As he sung that last bit, he winked.

Okay, creepy. And he was still singing with that disturbing smile. Jeremy was pretty sure he was almost hyperventilating. " _I'm just a teacher, I'm not a poet._ " How did he know about that? Only his friends knew! " _I need you Heere to help dream up our show._ " That was a change of pace from yesterday. " _But if you can't dig deep and finally know it. Then I want you to want!_ " Yeah, it was official, he was hyperventilating and on the edge of a panic attack, this was too much!

" _To want!_ " Shimizu grinned as he stood straight, walking behind Jeremy and to the door. Oh thank god, was he about to let him out. "Do you know someone who really wants? I most certainly do. Miss Canigula! Come in please!"

Oh fuck no, of course Christine was infected by this thing too! That's why she was helping him, it had to be.

" _Shakespeare, playwright, thanks to you I know my lines. Shakespeare, he's dead. I want to be in your shows all the time._ " Even if he were panicking, Jeremy almost rolled his eyes. Of course that's who she'd sing about. She'd been obsessed with Shakespeare plays since she was nine and she read a prose version of Midsummer's Night Dream.

Christine kept echoing on about how she wanted to be in Shakespeare's shows. Every. Single. One of them. He knew her too well, but holding onto that familiarity helped him to not freak out too much. Then Shizimu offered Christine the speaker to the PA system. "Miss Canigula, get on the intercom and tell the whole school."

This could be his chance. “Mr. Shimizu, I think I should leave-”

"No, Mr. Heere, I want you to stay. If you leave, you fail this class." Fuck. Christine cleared her throat as she pressed down on the button, letting the whole school hear her. "Hello, Middleborough High! Everything is great and amazing on this Lah-Dee-Dah-Dah-Day. I just wanted to let you all know that I... that I..." She looked so broken-hearted as she stared vacantly and sadly down at the speaker. "I, um, forgot what I was going to say. Hopefully, I'll remember. Go Elephants!" With that, she lifted her button off the PA's speaker.

Shimizu started clapping proudly. Christine bowed then ran out, a too big smile on her face.

" _Now, Heere, you know what it is to want!_ " And he was singing again. Jeremy was legitimately about to lose it.

"I want to go home!"

" _It consumes a man with a passion to drive the primary plot._ " Jeremy backed up, closer to the door, as Shimizu continued to sing. " _So take up yoga or improv classes. Volunteer at shelters or Twitch to the masses. There's gotta be something that'll keep my hands off you, off you!_ " His teacher then struck a somewhat dramatic pose. " _'Cause I want you to want!_ "

Oh god, Shimizu was standing on the chair now. "I'm gonna go home now. I'm feeling sick, okay?" Shimizu didn't seem to notice, which let Jeremy inch closer to the door.

Shimizu didn't look in Jeremy's direction, but his arm extended to Jeremy. " _No, I need you to want!_ "

"I'm gonna hurl!" He was if he had to stay there longer. "I'm going to the toilet!" Jeremy managed to yank open the door.

" _And if you don't want, we're through._ " Jeremy began to run. "Heere?" Oh god, Shimizu noticed. "Heere?" Was he about to come after Jeremy? " _Heere!_ " Okay, that was a high note, but as the music finally cut out Jeremy felt marginally safer. He still didn't stop running.

He booked it through the auditorium doors, right outside. Michael's car was idling to the side, and he could hear Cavetown playing from his car. He was drumming against his steering wheel as Jeremy dove in, shutting the door behind himself.

"Oh shit, you look like- Hold on." Michael reached into the back of his car and pulled out a thick, plastic bag, handing it over to Jeremy. "There's some paper bags too, but this'll be better in case you get sick."

"I feel like I'm gonna hurl." Jeremy groaned, strapping himself in but keeping the bag ready just in case. Being around Michael was helping. Hopefully he'd feel better soon.

"Well, I'll drive slower and stuff while I take you back," Michael said, getting out of park and into drive before he started going. "Take it easy."

"Wish I could." Musical. The world was turning into a musical. Or his school was anyways, and he and Michael seemed to be the only people who came in today who weren't infected by whatever it was. God, if this turned out to be a zombie alien invasion or something like that, Jeremy was just gonna shoot himself in the head. No way was he dealing with the dead singing (was Christine a zombie then? Oh no...).

  
  
  


Shimizu sighed as he sat back down in his seat at his desk, Christine now in his office with him along with a handful of other students who had been at the show last night. "So we didn't get Heere, nor did we get his friend. Who else from this school do we have left?"

Jenna pulled out her phone. "We're missing Chloe Valentine, Brooke Lohst, Rich Goranski, and Marshal King. Besides Jeremy and Michael, they're the only ones who got away, and Marshal is the only one who escaped directly from the performance last night."

Well, at least it wasn't _too_ many loose ends. "Alright. Will any of you happen to see any of those six before tomorrow?"

Jake Dillinger, a star athlete, stepped forward. "If Chloe gets scared, she calls me. And if I find her, I find Brooke." He smiled proudly.

"And I can check Marshal's house after work," Dustin Kropp added, also stepping forward. "I have my own key. I also work with Michael, along with our boss Derek. He was there last night, so he's already reborn and so happy."

Shimizu nodded as he leaned back in his chair, looking over the two who stepped forward. "Mell is Heere's friend, so he can deal with Heere after you get him. What about Goranski?"

"I know how to get Rich." Jake sounded sure and almost excited. "With your permission of course, sir."

"As long as you get him, you can do what you want," Shimizu said, waving his hand at that. "If anything happens, update me. Just remember that your main objective is to infect them and everyone else in town by any means necessary."

" _Yes sir!_ " the group chorused as they filed out his door, launching into a number. Their harmonies were perfect and, for the first time, everyone was in perfect sync. Finally, he felt like his students had accomplished something.

Hopefully, he'd be able to get the whole town in sync. Then he'd be able to work on getting the whole work harmonized together under him, all while keeping their voices perfect.

This certainly was going to be a La-Dee-Dah-Dah Day... whatever the hell that meant. Presumably it was something good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! This chapter has some good moments in it! We get one of my favourite moments in this chapter, and writing Jeremy as a bit of a crazy was fun. Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person :3c
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Short notes today. So, a lot happens this chapter. ALSO FOR CLARIFICATION: Mr. Shimizu IS Squip personified. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and enjoy seeing Michael at work. ;3c Also also, this chapter has some of my favorite songs in it.

Today definitely was weird, all things considered.

Jeremy was seeming to get paranoid and a little... not hallucinatory, but something like it. He kept swearing people were singing and dancing. He hadn't noticed anything like that. Also, Shimizu and Christine had apparently done a duet about how he needed to 'want' something. 

Yeah, he probably got more than food poisoning. 

After helping Jeremy get into bed, Michael went back home and got ahead on some college application stuff. He'd just text Dustin and Jenna about whatever things he missed.

Then he had work, which he thought would be fine. Derek, who had been one of the people to babysit him as a little Mikey, worked at The Flower's Wall as his boss. He was always cool and chill, especially since this was supposed to be some 'hipster' kinda coffee-cafe place.

"What the hell do you mean we have to do some Cold Stone tip song shit now?"

"It's not just a tip song, Michael. There's a song for _every_ occasion." Derek seemed too happy about that considering he hated musicals as much as Michael did. "Let's head to the back room. I'm going to teach you while Dustin handles the customers."

"Why the hell do we need a song for _every_ occasion? Doesn't that seem..." What was a work-friendly word to use? Wait, this was Derek. "Fucking excessive?" he finished as they walked into the break room. "Shitty and grody? Way above my paygrade?"

"Everyone will be singing, Michael. You're going to learn the songs."

The new laptop would be worth it, the new laptop would be worth it, the new laptop _had_ to be worth it. "Alright, whatever. Just don't expect me to be able to get them right, like, in the next month or so. I'm still doing college applications and I'm stressing about SAT testing."

"Let's just try for the tip song today. I'll run you through the others, but the tip song is the one to learn," Derek compromised, pulling out some lyrics and his phone.

  
  
  


About an hour later, if not more, Michael was exhausted. He had the tip song down-pat, but he was actually hoping no one actually tipped for once. It was way too chipper and boppy and just plain embarrassing.

When he heard the bell, Derek gave him a look and he knew what he had to do.

He had been hearing Dustin and Derek do the greeting song, so it must've been his time to try it. Ugh.

Michael shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and kept his eyes shut as he turned to the door. " _Welcome to The Flo-wer's Wall-_ "

A familiar screech stopped him in his tracks. Michael opened his eyes in surprise.

"No, Michael, not you too!" Jeremy wailed, scrambling backwards. "Oh god, not you, please." Jeremy was a mess, his hair was all standing in random directions, his cheeks were flushed with what looked to be a fever, and his eyes were wide and looking too bright and scared.

"Oh my god, Jeremy, what the hell are you doing here?" Michael went around the counter, going over to Jeremy. "You look like shit, and you're supposed to be home recovering. I'm just... _What_? Explain, please."

"Michael, you're _talking_ to me." Jeremy looked so relieved. "Like talking normally. You're not one of... _them_ ." He shook his head, taking Michael's hands and looking up at him desperately. "They're everywhere, Mikey. I've been all over town, it's _spread_. I know people singing like they’re in a musical doesn't sound scary, but it is. Just consider the implications!"

"You've been- Jeremy, you're supposed to be at home! Why the hell have you been-"

"Shhhh!" Jeremy put his finger on Michael's lips, cutting him off. "Just stop and think about the implications." He took a shaky breath. "Are you frightened, Mikey?" His voice was cracking and he genuinely looked like he was about to burst into tears.

Well, he was frightened, but more for Jeremy than anything else. What kind of sickness did those fries give him? "Yeah, I think I'm starting to get a little frightened now."

"Good," Jeremy whispered, half falling against Michael with what seemed to be relief. "Good. But that means we need to go. We don't know who could be-"

" _[Michael](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H46DCZ_AQTE). Tip. _" Shit, Derek and Dustin were calling.

"God, alright." Michael quickly took a deep breath before helping Jeremy sit in a booth. "Stay right here, I'll be back after I do this stupid tip song. Sorry."

"No, Michael, don't-!" Michael was already gone. He got into position with the others as the music started up. It was weird, though, like it was coming from everywhere instead of the crappy cafe speakers.

" _Get your cup of roasted coffee. Your morning cup of Joey. We'll make a jamming cup of java, mocha latte with the froth for you, Jack._ "

Michael knew a little bit of the dance too (yeah, there was a fucking dance too!) as he clapped his hands and spun in place before following Dustin and Derek, moving his hands in front of him. " _Frappuccino with the freshly roasted mung beans._ " They all pretended to be whispering with how they put their hand up. God, Michael wanted death. " _It's a caramel drizzle mud in a cup._ " Hip wiggled and he had to get to Derek's other side to do this... " _With a drip, drip, drip drip._ " He pulled back after pretending to do coffee drips with his hands into Derek’s waiting hand, hands now up. " _And we'll bring it right up!_ "

Luckily for this part he just had to step and sort of point his toes with each movement, stepping back and forth as he harmonised with Dustin. Derek took the lead for a moment. His voice was surprisingly rich, though considering his speaking voice, it wasn't so surprising. 

" _Hey Mr. Business, how do you do? Can we get a triple for you?_ "

Oh god, here came the flailing. Derek still lead, but Michael had to chime in with Dustin in 'surprise' after every decaf. 

" _Decaf? What? Decaf? What?_ "

Back to them all, now just serve the coffees in a sec and penguin waddle (when did Derek have time to even come up with this shit?) " _Doo-doo do-doo-doo do-doo-doo do-doo-doo. And we'll bring it right up! Oi oi oi!_ " He made sure to drop off a coffee at Jeremy's booth too, reassuring him softly.

" _Michael.~_ "

Shit.

Now the hard part. Somehow Michael managed to get the dance done perfectly, and the audience (except Jeremy) all somehow took a drink at the right time. What were the odds?

Time for the final harmonies and Michael could finally get back to looking after Jeremy.

" _And we'll bring it. And'd we'll bring it._ " He was the second of the three 'right's they had to do one after another. " _And we'll bring it right up!_ "

"Oh thank god that's done-" The music was still going though. What the hell?

Turning around, Michael saw Dustin and Derek doing some other part of this dance? "Wait, there's more?" He looked specifically at how they danced, the smiles they carried way too creepy for his liking right now. "What's this?!" Michael asked, flailing his arms sort of how Derek and Dustin were with their dancing.

"Wait, wait, stop! Stop the music!" Derek and Dustin both stopped, both hands resting on one hip as Michael was standing back by the counter, blocked from the door.

"What is this?! A whole other dancing section? More to this stupid song and dance? This place is a _hipster_ coffee-cafe hangout, not some musical theater restaurant like that place in New York!" God, the eerie smiles Dustin and Derek were just- He couldn't take it! "I came to work here in order to save up money for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, for my resume, and to get myself a new laptop! if I wanted to be in a damn musical, I'd fucking sign up for Little Shop next semester! I was told I'd clean, make drinks, and serve shitty pastries that are overpriced along with reheated paninis here. This is way out of my slightly-above-minimum-wage pay grade! I could easily do more for less at Starbucks or Panera Bread!" Michael untied his apron, tossing the green fabric behind him and against the counter. "No offense to you, Derek, but this is _not_ what I signed up for! I quit."

"You can't quit now, Michael." Derek and Dustin didn't stop smiling, their voices too perfectly in sync.

"Uh, I sure as hell can and just did," Michael insisted, going to start walking around them before getting blocked by them. What the hell?

"The song is so simple. We'll teach it to you." Why wouldn't they let him past? "Why, almost everyone here-" They looked over to Jeremy, who cowered under their gaze, before turning back to Michael. "-will be singing it soon."

Before Michael could say anything, the patrons around him started coughing. Some started keeling over in their seats while others were falling to the ground. "What the hell did you do to their coffee?!" Picking up the nearby pot, Michael reached in and found lots of little pieces that were cold and metallic trying to stick to his skin. He yelped as he pulled his hand out, shaking his hand. "The hell was that?!"

[An off tune version of the tip song](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tIl_vHA6Z3I) started playing and this time Michael was sure it came from everywhere.

"G _et your cup of synced-up coffee._ " What was happening? " _Your buzzing cup of Joey!_ " What had they done? Michael was being backed up to the counter. He managed to barge his way though, but just barely. " _We'll make a twisted cup of java mocha latte with the SQUIP for you Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack_!"

Derek and Dustin started singing the familiar line of, " _Hey Mr. Business, how do you-_ " except almost everyone else in the shop started to as well, all standing up and turning to face Michael and now Jeremy who was suddenly beside him. " _-how do you, how do you do?_ "

Michael barely managed to grab Jeremy's arm, his other shaking to reach into his pocket. His car keys! Yeah, and his phone, thank god he didn't stuff those into his locker in the break room today. "They're singing! Remy, why the hell are they _all_ singing?!"

"We need to run, Mikey," Jeremy urged. He grabbed Michael's hand and tugged him towards the door. "Don't look back, just run!"

"Oh god," was all Michael could say as he quickly exited the coffee shop, especially when he heard the sound of the patrons and employees inside coming after them.

" _Hey Mr. Business. And we'll bring it right up._ " 

The door shut behind them as Michael bolted to his Cruiser, unlocking it before practically diving in with Jeremy. "I don't know where the hell we're going, but we're getting the fuck away from here," Michael said as he slammed the keys in, barely remembering to buckle up before starting the car.

They drove in silence for a moment before Jeremy pointed to an alleyway. “Park just inside there,” he instructed. “You’re gonna crash from your panic otherwise.”

Michael didn't realize he had been holding his breath until he let it go to try to tell Jeremy that he wasn't panicking. Yeah, he was. "Alright," he murmured as he pulled into the alleyway, parking his car and leaving it on idle as he leaned back in his seat.

Jeremy reached over and turned off the engine, undoing Michael’s belt to give him more space to calm down. “I told you. Everyone is _singing_.” He squinted at Michael, looking so much more reasonable now that Michael knew what Jeremy had been seeing all day. “You didn’t actually consider the implications, did you?”

"No, I didn't. I just... I thought you were super sick and delirious." Delirious, that was the word he'd been trying to remember all day. "I didn't think about the implications."

Jeremy took his hands and squeezed them rhythmically, giving Michael something to sync his breathing too. “It is actually scary, isn’t it? I’m not going crazy?”

"It's fucking terrifying and you are not crazy," Michael confirmed before trying to match his breathing to Jeremy's squeezes. "I just... What the fuck."

“I know.” Jeremy nodded.

“Michael? Jeremy?” a familiar voice called out from deeper in the alleyway. Marshal appeared from behind a dumpster. “Are you two... Woah, you both look like shit. You can’t be one of them.”

"Yeah, no, I just fucking booked it from my job where it was crawling full of infected people," Michael said, though he stopped when Jeremy was firmer with his hand squeezes. Right, he definitely shouldn't freak himself out when he was trying to calm down.

“Oh thank fuck.” Marshal sagged a little before turning back into the alleyway. “Guys, they’re safe. You can come out.” A few more faces popped out. Michael vaguely recognized time as attending the same school as him, but he didn’t really know who they were. Could he be sure they were safe or...?

Whelp, Jeremy was getting out. He knew more about this than Michael did, so Michael decided to trust Jeremy’s judgement.

Michael left his car, taking his keys with him. Once he was calmer, he was driving out of here.

"Who the hell are these two?" one of the two girls bluntly asked, looking them over with a judging gaze. God, yeah, she was _not_ helping.

"Chloe, stop it," the other girl said, tugging on presum- oh shit, Chloe was the name of the most popular girl at school. This other girl had to be her best friend then, Brooke. He knew enough about the school's highest point of the social hierarchy from Jenna. "Also, Marshal _did_ just say their names."

“Wait, _these_ two are survivors?” Oh shit, Michael knew that voice. Jeremy clearly recognized him instantly, because he flinched. Rich might have stopped pushing them around last year, but he was still an ass.

"Can you guys _stop_ being rude? We're in the middle of an apocalyptic setting, we need all the people we can get," Brooke almost begged, turning to look at Richard Goranski when he popped out. "Plus, they seem nice."

Jeremy stepped forward and grabbed onto Marshal, clinging tightly to him. Michael knew they were close considering that Marshal was Christine’s step brother.

“I was so worried, Marsh. I thought for sure that everyone from last night would have been gotten.”

“Wait, last night? What the hell are you talking about, nerd?” Chloe demanded. Jeremy ignored her in favor of clinging to the oldest person present.

"Last night, I went to see my step-sister and boyfriend working on the play. I left as soon as I saw this thing that was not in dress rehearsals appear on stage, and I kept running when I heard the sound of something puffing out and everyone coughing," Marshal explained, holding onto Jeremy too. "When Chrissy came back, she tried singing to me in this creepy way, not like normal. I avoided her and came to town and it's... it's been getting everyone. Turning them into musical zombies."

“I’ve been around town, it’s _everywhere_ ,” Jeremy confirmed softly. “We just came from Flower’s Wall. Dustin and Derek were both hit hard and they got all the patrons. Almost got Michael too, if he didn’t break out last minute.”

"Thank god you're both alright," Marshal murmured, relaxing before glancing over at the Cruiser. There was a lingering sadness in his eyes, definitely because of Dustin. "Hey, Michael, do you think we'd be able to get somewhere safe to hide out in your car?"

"Wh- I mean, yeah, I guess. I just parked here so I could calm down first," Michael said, running a hand through his hair.

“Wait! We can’t leave without Jake!” Michael saw how both Marshal and Jeremy tensed up at that. 

“What did you say?” Jeremy demanded in a low, dangerous voice Michael had only heard a handful of times from him. It meant he was super pissed and he was likely to do something rash. “You realize he’s likely infected, right? Unless you see them directly, you can’t trust _anybody_!”

"I'm not leaving Jake," Chloe firmly said, her own voice going low as she narrowed her eyes at Jeremy. Her intimidating stature and height that she had on Jeremy definitely put things in her favor. "He's already had enough people leave him, and I'm not doing that to him too."  
  


Michael took a step forward, resting his hand against Jeremy's arm. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Brooke doing the same thing with Chloe. "Jeremy-"

Jeremy stepped away from Michael, not backing down for once. “He’s probably already _dead_ like the rest of them,” Jeremy hissed. “This is why you never keep lovesick bimbos on survival teams.” He smiled icily, and Michael recognized that this was his anxiety speaking and making him angry. It needed an outlet. “You let them sacrifice themselves, not the whole group.”

Everyone sort of stopped, shocked by what Jeremy had said. Even Michael was taken aback. Yeah, his anxiety and lingering sickness was _not_ helping. He knew Jeremy would never mean what he said, it was mostly just anxious word-vomit.

No one else knew that though.

"What the hell did you just say to me, you insignificant-"

The sound of tires screeching cut Chloe off before she could say anything, causing everyone to turn and look at the car that blocked them into the alleyway. Shit.

That car was expensive. It had to belong to Jake, as in most popular guy at school and Chloe’s ex boyfriend Jake. And despite how out of it Jeremy was, Michael knew one thing for sure: when Jeremy did his research, he was almost always right. He had to have spent all afternoon researching. Jake had about a ninety-nine percent chance of being infected.

When he came out of his car with two other people (Michael recognized them as school jocks), he knew Jeremy was right.

[Chloe let out a huge sigh of relief](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SlmyDr_c6N8&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=7&t=0s), her attention shifting from Jeremy to Jake as she smiled and walked over to Jake, ignoring Brooke's soft-spoken warning. "Jake! Thank god, I was worried you weren't gonna come when you didn't text me back-"

“ _Chlo, I need you to take a step back._ ” Jake extended his hand, stopping Chloe from getting close enough to hug. She froze when he came out singing.

“ _You're facing the law, not wannabes for a frat. ‘Cause, we're jocks. Yeah, we're jocks. You'd better shape on up._ ” The others chimed in but it was clear this was Jake’s number. Michael darted forward, tugging Jeremy close and further away from them, making a note of how hot he felt. He was burning up again.

"Chloe, come on," Brooke said, going to grab for Chloe before Jake continued singing, his jock friends stepping behind her.

" _You better empty out all of them pockets._ " Brooke looked absolutely baffled, her hands moving, presumably not to actually empty her pockets- And one of the jocks slapped her hands! " _But don't empty out all of your pockets._ " She barely managed to move out of the way of having the back of her knee kicked out. " _'Cause we're jocks, yeah we're jocks._ " Brooke finally managed to grab Chloe and drag her a bit away from the jocks. " _And we make sense._ "

The three got into a line, blocking off the exit while also dancing. “ _Show me your hands! Show me those jazz hands!_ ” They were doing jazz hands alright, and a sort of jazzy kick line too. “ _Raise those hands or we'll beat your face in. Show me those hands! Show me those jazz hands!_ ” Why was this strangely catchy? “ _Or I might be inclined to beat you up._ ” Less catchy, but a familiar threat. Not from Jake, but still.

Not being the most coordinated person in the world, Michael was grabbed by Jake. He yelped, and he heard both Brooke and Marshal do the same as they were grabbed by the other jocks. Instead of being attacked, as Brooke started to panic and tell the jocks how she was _not_ the best singer, their hands were grabbed and made to mimic how someone would swing their arms as they ran.

The jock behind Brooke specifically sung, " _Nerds run down the fields all the time. Watch your back, because hell has arrived._ " Michael was forced to look back at Jake, and he quickly ducked his head before being shoved forward with the other two.

" _'Cause we're jocks, yeah we're jocks. We're up in your shi-et!_ "

Jeremy clumsily grabbed onto Michael, helping him before he toppled over. Everyone backed up from Jake and his group, clearly afraid. 

“ _Jenna lost her phone in the stands._ ” 

  
“ _Contact Coach, we ain’t catching her hands,_ ” Jake sung. Michael could relate hard to that line. Jenna was scary.

“’ _Cause we’re jocks. Yeah we’re jocks,_ ” they sang together. 

  
The one who informed them about Jenna’s phone sneered, looking almost proud. “ _Her phone’s broken._ ”

The three looked between each other, shrugging casually before continuing to sing with their jazz hand-esque dance. They repeated the same bit from before, which was probably their chorus, as everyone tried to back up. There was no way they could escape in the Cruiser if the alleyway was blocked, god damnit.

" _Step away from the alleyway._ " Wait, what? " _Step away from the alleyway,_ " Jake repeated, to which most everyone was confused as they tried to follow before Jake took back what he said. " _Get back in the alleyway. Get back in the alleyway. Slowly get out of the alleyway, slowly get out of the alleyway._ " God damn. At least one of the jocks was dancing his heart out in a weird but super entertaining and cool way. " _Do the things I say-_ "

" _I'm a jock,_ " all three said in unison, grinning at everyone as they all stepped back, almost cornered against the Cruiser.

Jake repeated the last set of lines, while one jock was commanding them to put their hands up and the other was making... siren sounds. This just got weirder and weirder and Michael was still freaking out, even if it was weird.

The part sounded suspiciously close to a speed rap, but at the same time, Jake was still singing. Okay, Michael wasn't a massive fan of rap, but this was just disrespectful to the genre. " _Coach just whistled, it's a foul. Got some nerds that are on the prowl. Better pack your heat and grab a ball. Any little shits we see are gonna take a fall_."

The three of them stood in a line, Jake in the middle again with their arms crossed over their chest as they bounced to the beat, continuing their singing ‘rap.’

The jock on Jake’s right sang, “ _Jake, that’s Chloe who made the call._ ”

“ _What that bitch want, Jake?_ ”

“ _She just wants a hug,_ ” the jock on the right answered, both him and the other jock bouncing their crossed arms side to side. 

“ _Grab your shoulder padding and the water bucket. Want my jersey number?_ ” Jake asked, his own arms crossed now. 

All three sort of finished off the ‘rap’ part together with, “ _Stuff it in your mouth and suck it!_ ”

Chloe seemed to gather enough nerves to step forward, even if she was shaking. She had a steely gaze as she looked Jake in the eyes, determined. “Jake, get yourself together! I’m your girl, Jake. Just talk to me, damnit!”

Jake half stumbled backwards, looking shaken. "Ch-...Chlo?" he asked. 

"Yes, it's me," Chloe huffed but even Michael could see her relief. "Snap out of this musical bullshit!"

For a moment it looked like he was going to snap out of it, but then his too large smile returned.

Chloe has enough sense to back up in time to avoid the punch thrown her way. “ _Show me your hands, show me your jazz hands!_ ” Jake sung the chorus again, the two jocks doing a back-up ‘ba-pa-ra-pa-ba’ thing as they started to chase everyone. 

Jake kept going after Chloe, singing the chorus. Michael got cornered with the others by the jocks, back against the dumpster, but wait, where was Rich?

“ _Or I might be inclined to beat you-_ ”

Rich ended the chorus by slamming the lid of a trash can against the back of Jake’s head, panting a little from what Michael could see. “You’re an ass right now, not a jock.”

Chloe screamed but Rich wasn't done. He brandished the lid at the other jocks threateningly. "Yeah, that's right. I'm not afraid of you fuckers. Now scram before I get you both too."

The two jocks looked between each other before raising their hands up and running, letting out this weird noise before diving into Jake’s car and driving off. Everyone was in a bit of shock, but Michael snapped out of it to check over Jeremy while Brooke booked it to Chloe. “Remy? Hey, are you alright?” He checked Jeremy’s forehead again and hissed when it was still too warm for his liking.

Jeremy was sort of panting and his eyes were a little unfocused, but he waved Michael off. "M'fine. I just... I gotta apologize to Chloe for what I said. Didn't mean it. Don't even know where it came from," he mumbled.

“I know you didn’t mean it, but you can apologize when you aren’t burning up,” Michael assured Jeremy, glancing up at Marshal who was waiting nearby. “My car’s still unlocked. Can you get him in there right now? He needs to rest.”

Marshal nodded. "Is he gonna be okay? I know he was sick yesterday, but it didn't seem that bad. He seemed... really different a moment ago." As he spoke, Marshal scooped Jeremy into his arms and cradled him close.

“Anxiety and sickness all culminating under stress probably made him react like that,” Michael said, looking down at Jeremy with worry. “I’m gonna talk with the others right now to figure something out.”

Marshal nodded, and Jeremy curled up against his chest with a small sigh. It wasn't a very happy sound but it was relaxed. Marshal started towards the car.

Michael turned to the group and was surprised to see Rich and Chloe arguing. "He could have a concussion! How can he get that scholarship if he's concussed?"

Chloe seemed to be laying into Rich, who wasn't so much arguing as standing there with building rage. Michael recognized that. He saw it a lot last year. Brooke seemed to be trying to calm Chloe down, but to no avail.

Finally Rich snapped. "You're not the only one who loves him, Valentine!"

Chloe halted, her eyes wide as she stared down at Rich. It wasn’t so much of anger or betrayal in her eyes, but more so surprise and genuine shock. “You... what?”

Alright, it was just a bunch of intimidating popular people arguing. No big deal, Michael could _totally_ handle this. “Look, you all obviously care for Jake and each other in some capacity. The best idea for us is to get out of here to someplace safe where we’ll be able to figure out exactly what is going on. I can drive us to a place I know of where we can stake out safely.”

"And why should we trust _you_ , headphones?" Chloe sneered. "Your little boyfriend is a fucking jerk, who's to say you're not just gonna, like, rob us or some shit?" The accusation sort of stung, but Michael could see that Chloe was actually hurting too. Jeremy's comment clearly got to her.

“I am _not_ alright with what Jeremy said. Right now, he’s still recovering from food poisoning and I think he has a fever too, but he’s been medicated, so he’s not contagious,” Michael explained as he held his hands up in a sort of mock surrender. “As soon as this all ended, he started saying about how he needed to apologize. Plus, if we tried to rob you guys, Rich would beat our asses.” 

He glanced back and saw Marshal making his way over. “Marshal, you can vouch for Remy and I, right?” Marshal was a bit popular due to his looks, personality, and involvement in the yearbook committee. Thank god he knew Marshal through Christine and Jeremy or he’d definitely be screwed right now.

"Yeah." He nodded. "These two are usually the most gentle guys I've come across. What Jeremy said was so far out of character I'm surprised he isn't singing. His anxiety usually manifests as him snapping and saying things he doesn't mean, so just give him a chance. And as for Michael, well he's probably the most trustworthy guy, and the most loyal." Oh god, Michael was feeling all flustered with how much praise was being given to him.

Brooke gently nudged Chloe’s side then. “Jenna’s mentioned a few things about Michael before, remember? And he’s always a part of honor roll with you. You two are always, like, in the top ten for grades.”

Chloe huffed, clearly still suspicious. "Even I didn't mess with Michael much last year. He's a decent dude," Rich added. Chloe looked over to him and her expression softened slightly before looking back at Michael.

"Fine. Where is this so called 'safe place'?"

Oh thank god. “Well, it’s with Jeremy’s uncle. He’s a bit... eccentric, and he used to work at Hobby Lobby and in the cafeteria for, like, a semester,” Michael explained. “He’s sort of like one of those, um... What do you call one of those people who have a fort?”

"A king!" Rich suggested proudly. Everyone else groaned.

“No, not that. He’s a... Oh! He’s a doomsday planner of sorts. Every time I’d go over, the one thing he’s always done with Jeremy and I is show us his basement bunker. It’s _loaded_ with stuff for the apocalypse,” Michael pitched.

"That sounds like a _really_ good place to be right now,” Brooke piped up. "He's probably clean still, and he might even have stuff to figure this out."

"If we gave him a... sample, he might be able to even come up with a cure," Marshal offered, looking at Jake, who was still knocked out on the ground.

“I mean, I don’t know if he’d be able to figure that out, but...” Michael looked over at Jake and gnawed on his lower lip. “I don’t know if it’s safe to bring him with us. He could infect us, we don’t know if it can spread from person to person and, if it can, how it does that.”

"Uncle Reyes has a cell we can leave Jake in." Jeremy appeared behind Michael, slurring and looking terrible. "And he's a biologist. He studied... humans. I think. He's our best chance."

Everyone jumped at Jeremy’s sudden appearance (well, except for Michael). “Jeremy, what the hell are you doing? You’re supposed to be lying down right now,” he softly chastised as he turned around and brushed some of his hair out of his face.

He was sweating a little, and he most certainly was getting a high fever. Jeremy sort of stumbled closer, falling against Michael's chest. "Got lonely 'cause you weren't there," he mumbled.

God, Jeremy was gonna be the metaphorical death of him. “I had Marshal put you in the car for a reason,” he murmured before wrapping his arms around Jeremy. 

Once he made sure Jeremy was secure and close, he looked up at the others. “Well, I trust them,” Brooke said, brushing her hair out of her face. “Michael’s always seemed nice, and Jenna’s only said good about him. Plus, he has more of an idea on what to do compared to any of the rest of us _and_ he has a car.”

Chloe looked torn for a second before nodding. "Yeah, we can go with you. But we stick Jake in the trunk, I'm not leaving him."

"You already know I'm going with you, dude." Marshal grinned.

"Yeah, you seem like our best bet," Rich agreed with a shrug.

Jeremy nuzzled closer. "So you got yourself a gr-" He cut off abruptly, legs going out from under him and his grip going lax. It was only the careful grip Michael had on him that meant Jeremy didn't collapse to the floor. He'd passed out, probably due to his fever. Hopefully Reyes would have something to help.

“Of course he’s sick during the fucking apocalypse,” Michael murmured to himself as he held Jeremy closer. “Marshal, can you-“

“Already ahead of you, dude,” he assured as he came over and picked up Jeremy, cradling him as he did before. 

“Thanks.” Michael sighed as he took his keys and popped the trunk. “Someone’s gonna have to sit in the trunk with Jake, so you all know. Only have five seats.”

"I'll do it,” Rich offered. "Then I can knock him out again if he wakes up."

Chloe frowned but said nothing against it. “As long as that ass isn’t lying in the back with us, I’m fine.”

"I'll strap him into the front seat." Marshal nodded. "We can lean it back and I'll sit behind him." He held Jeremy a little closer. "Just... please, Chlo, give him a chance. He's not actually like that, I promise. And if I know him, which I do, he'll be beating himself up for what he said as soon as he's calm."

Chloe's features softened ever so slightly before returning to how they were before. "We'll see," she said before walking over to Jake's side, going and picking up Jake with Rich and settling him into the trunk. Damn, she was strong.

It didn't take long before everyone was settled in the car. As Michael drove off, he hoped to whoever might be listening that Reyes was okay. He was their only chance right now, and he was the only one who could possibly help Jeremy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! This chapter... well this chapter might not be exactly what you think, but it /is/ the start of the real pain train. Things only get worse from here. Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person :3c
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Today has things get a bit crazier than yesterday. Yes, it’s somehow going to get worse. Prepare yourselves.

Jeremy groaned as he rose back to awareness. He wasn't quite sure where he was, the last thing he remembered was... Jake. Singing. And oh god, he'd been so _horrible_ to Chloe. Yeah, he didn't really like her, she came across as very bitchy, but he did have a healthy respect for her. She was easily one of the smartest people in their year.

As he tried to place all his memories back where they belonged, Jeremy forced his eyes open. Despite the very soft lighting, he was finding it too bright. Another groan and he closed them again. Maybe if he died instead, that would be better. And it would be ultimate karma.

... Maybe that was a bit too extreme, but he felt like shit, alright? He was allowed to be dramatic.

He heard the sound of a door opening and closing before muted footsteps came over and stopped near him. There was a gentle brush against his forehead, moving his hair away, before a familiar voice hummed. "Well, at least his fever has finally broken."

Michael's touch was sweet and Jeremy couldn't help but relax. 

"The medicine I gave him should be enough to clear any remaining traces from his system." That sounded like Uncle Reyes. "It was more a stress driven fever than anything, but it should help."

"Still, it's not what we need right now. I'm glad he's better," Michael said, relief evident in his voice as he brushed the last of Jeremy's hair from his forehead. His touch lingered for a moment before pulling back. "Have you and Marshal been able to gather anything from the weird gray shit that Jake coughed up earlier?"

"It's not biological, I can tell you that much." Uncle Reyes sounded grim. "Still, having a living specimen is so useful. I can study the cause further and even directly see it in action."

Jeremy groaned again, intending on adding his own thoughts but not really able to do anything more.

There was a pressure, a dip in the bed Jeremy knew he was lying in now, and a soft gasp from Michael. "Remy? Hey, are you awake right now?"

"Yeah." It took a whole lot of effort, but he managed to finally get something coherent out. With a little more effort, he even managed to reach out a shaky hand towards the dip, assuming that was where Michael (or maybe Uncle Reyes) was.

As soon as he reached out his hand, he felt Michael's familiar hand hold his in a warm, secure grip. "You're gonna need to rest for a bit longer until the rest of this fever's out of your system."

"What even happened?" He thought that sounded right, but he could have been slurring or something. "Last thing I remember s'being a jerk and then... Jake came. It was scary."

“You were a bit of a jerk to Chloe,” Michael agreed before briefly explaining what happened, up to them coming to his uncle’s place since Michael thought it would be the best place to hide and recuperate. Jeremy swore he heard his uncle hum proudly at that.

"You're weird, Uncle Reyes." Jeremy sort of giggled at the offended squawk he let out. "But you're always prepared. Thanks for looking after me and everyone."

"I mean, two of those kids were super attached to the unconscious jock, and there's some arguing that's happened, but it's been good otherwise. A good reminder of why I never took up that position at your school to be the drama teacher," his uncle mused after recomposing himself.

“I would have liked it if you did.” Jeremy struggled to sit up, and when Michael wrapped an arm around him, well, let’s just say he had a mini out-of-body experience. It always made him jump when Michael was very tactile without Jeremy having a chance to prepare himself. “Thanks, Mikey.” He turned back to his uncle. “You’d make a way better drama teacher than Shimizu. He’s an elitist asshole.”

His uncle shrugged as he adjusted his jacket. "I'm sure they wouldn't have appreciated the critiques and adjustments I'd want to do on the shows they'd have us do. Plus, those children are monsters. I've had to have two Hot Pocket breaks extra compared to what I normally have because of them!"

“Wow. That’s a lot.” His uncle ate a _lot_ of Hot Pockets. “Well if I go out there, I can promise they’d stop yelling at each other.” Mainly because Chloe would start yelling at him. Probably. He deserved it.

Jeremy wasn’t even sure where the whole ‘bimbo’ comment came from. He didn’t believe that about Chloe and he never even used the word unless it was a part of a story or something. He was offended by it in principle, so the fact that he used it at all…

"I mean, Brooke and Chloe are bickering a bit right now," Michael said as he brushed some of Jeremy's hair back. "They were worse before, but they sort of made up... Sort of. They're debating about you right now. They were debating about Rich and Jake earlier."

Jeremy leaned into the touch and tried his best to stop squinting because of the light. “I feel really bad about what I said,” he confessed, though he had no doubt that Michael would already know that. He knew Jeremy better than Jeremy knew himself sometimes. “I need to apologize to her and find a way of making it up. I know that nothing I say can _undo_ the damage, but still. I don’t even know where it came from.”

"I honestly have no idea where it came from either." Michael ran his fingers through his hair again and god, it felt like heaven. "Brooke's more open to listening... Chloe isn't. I mean, I get it, but I also know you. She doesn't. Brooke's being very open and trusting."

“I don’t blame her for being hostile. And I’m grateful that Brooke is being open, she’s always seemed sweet. Plus, Chrissy is sweet on her, so I would hate to piss her off.” Jeremy chuckled weakly, leaning more against Michael. Small jokes were good. It was a good start.

Michael kept running his hand through Jeremy's hair, laughing a little. "Yeah. I mean hell, we both saw how excited she got when Jenna gave her flowers and chocolates from Brooke on Friday night."

"Well, while you two chat, I'm going back to work with that Marshal kid. He said he was close on figuring something out," Uncle Reyes said, giving the two a nod and Michael a hair ruffle before dashing out.

“Yeah.” Jeremy sighed, closing his eyes. This time it was from relaxation more than anything else. “How long have I been out?”

"Uh... Well, we had a scare or two with Jake, and Rich knocked him right back out," Michael recounted before humming under his breath. "Chloe switched out with him for night duty, along with Brooke and Marshal. I've been here with you mainly. It's, like... early morning, maybe nine?" Right, Michael's definition of 'early' was different compared to everyone else since he liked sleeping in.

"Wow, it's already tomorrow..." That meant everyone at school had been infected for over twenty-four hours. That was a scary thought. "Do we know what's caused this? 'Cause a sort of singing zombie apocalypse doesn't just happen on its own."

“Well, Jake coughed up some weird gray shit after Rich knocked him out one time. It feels exactly like the shit I felt in the coffee, so it has to be the same thing,” Michael told him. “Marshal and Reyes have been working and I think they’re close to something.”

“Do we know who’s done it?” If it was non-biological, someone had to have made it.

"Marshal was talking to me when he was taking a break," Michael started, shifting on the bed a bit to presumably get more comfortable. "He said Shimizu was acting weirder than normal Sunday, and he swore that he saw him carrying a pretty big, grey pill looking container at one point. It looks similar to the little gray things Jake coughed up." He looked uncomfortable as he looked back to Jeremy. "Considering everyone is being turned into a musical zombie and he's the most uppity person for musicals that either of us know... He seems the most likely to me and Marshal."

Jeremy was shaking a little. “But he was singing when I went to see him. Like, really weirdly and happily. He’s _never_ that happy.” Why was Jeremy defending him? Maybe because if he hadn’t been sick, he would already be infected. And there was the fact that Jeremy was (probably) almost infected yesterday. He didn’t want to deal with that possibility.

"He probably had to keep up the ploy so he wouldn't be obvious," Michael pointed out, his hand shifting from Jeremy's hair. "Also, he might've brought you there to infect you, but you got away, so he couldn't drop the act." There was some hesitation in Michael's actions before he reached over and brushed his hand over Jeremy's forehead again. "Did you... start to have this fever _after_ seeing Shimizu? And how close did you get to him?"

“He was right on top of me basically.” Jeremy’s shaking got worse as he faced the possibility of being infected. “But! I haven’t been singing or even want to, so I’m safe right?”

There was that hesitation again as Michael seemed to think something over. "You might... have a tiny bit in you, but not enough to be able to sing or anything like that. Not enough to infect you or make you do any of that stuff." He thought longer on that, still staying close to Jeremy. "Maybe... Hm. It would make sense then if that was true..."

Jeremy was trying his best to minimize his shakes, but he was still tense and scared. If he had some in him, what if he got worse? What if he did become fully infected? They didn’t seem to have any motive except to sing, dance and spread. He’d become a danger to everyone, even to Michael. He didn’t want that. He couldn’t handle that possibility.

“What-... what would make sense?” he managed to stutter out.

"Why you said what you said to Chloe," Michael explained as he looked back down at Jeremy. "Maybe a bit of influence trying to split us apart. I know you didn't mean it, and it would make sense on why you'd say something so out-of-character."

Jeremy blinked, having to work even harder to stop his shakes. “S-so it’s already in me and affecting my head. Oh god-“ He might be sick again just from the thought of it.

Quickly, he felt Michael's hands on him, which only calmed him down a smidge. "That was because you were weak and stressed, Remy. You're fine now. You know about it and can beat it out. You're stronger than you think you are," Michael assured him, gently rubbing up and down his upper arms.

Jeremy felt his shakes start to subside a bit. “But what if I’m not? What if I become one of them? What if-“

The grip on his upper arms tightened as Michael held on. "If I didn't trust and believe in that, I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now, would I? Believe in the me that believes in you, Jeremy. The Jeremy I believe in is an amazing guy who I'd entrust with my life if I had to."

That-... that was a lot of trust. Maybe too much, but Jeremy would be damned before he let that trust in him down. Slowly but surely, he started to relax, focusing on his breathing and generally calming himself down. He could sort out the mess of his thoughts later. For now, he just needed to focus on the fact that Michael believed he could, therefore he would. He’d be stronger than this; he’d beat it if it was in his system.

"There you go," Jeremy heard Michael murmur before his best friend rubbed his upper arms. It was soothing.

Jeremy took a breath before trying to talk. “Well, even if I’m scared, I’d never let you down,” he mumbled. “If you believe I’m stronger, then I’m stronger.”

"I mean, I don't believe it. I _know_ it," Michael said as he smiled down at Jeremy. "You've proved it to me many times, like with the hammock incident."

Jeremy blushed at that point. “I mean, yeah. But that was a weird situation to begin with.”

Michael had decided to string up a hammock between the tree his childhood treehouse was in and one tree in Jeremy’s garden just next door. Thing was, he did it high up so he could actually make it over the fence. When he got stuck, as Jeremy knew that Michael inevitably would, Jeremy had pushed aside his own fear of heights and climbed up to save him, and even climbed down with Michael clinging to his back. Everyone had been very impressed, especially considering he was still Annabelle back then. They didn’t think a girl could be so strong, mentally or physically. Jeremy knew he could though since he always was when Michael really needed him.

"Still, you were super strong and brave, metaphorically and literally with the strong part," Michael pointed out. "I probably would've cracked my head open if it wasn't for you. You also stood up for yourself many times when you started identifying as Jeremy. I wouldn't have been able to do it. I have so many strong Jeremy instances, I could go on all day about 'em and still not be done."

Jeremy was getting flustered from all the praise and it probably showed on his face. He knew he was blushing by now for sure.

"All this isn't to inflate your ego, but remind you that you are strong," Michael said, ruffling Jeremy's hair before he sighed and stood up. "I need to go check on Brooke and Chloe, as well as see how Rich is doing. Do you wanna stay here for a bit longer? I wouldn't blame you."

Jeremy shook his head. "I need to go apologize, whether it was me or not."

"Alright then." Michael stood up, held out his hand for Jeremy, and smiled. "Ready to explain all this crazy shit to them too?"

  
  
  


Rich was tired. Nothing they did seemed to be enough to revive Jake and no matter what he did, it didn't make him knocking Jake out any easier. Nothing made any of this easier.

"What are we doing here, Jakey-D?" He sighed at Jake's lifeless form. "At least we weren't dating before all this. It would be so much worse." He sort of chuckled bitterly. "Never thought I'd be so glad you're straight."

Seeing Jake behind bars made things worse for Rich (seriously, how the hell was this crazy Reyes dude able to make a cell in half of his basement?). And _he_ was holding the keys for his cell and his cuffs. What kind of metaphor could be used to describe this?

  
He sighed again, giving up for now. He would swap out with Brooke soon; Chloe just came back sulking last time.

He was just about to stand when Jake's eyes shot open and he sat upright. Shit, where was the syringe?

Jake looked dazed and confused as he blearily looked around. "What... Where 'm I? Richie, why'm I cuffed up to a chair... in a cell?"

Hearing Jake's voice, his real voice and not his singing voice, was doing funny things to Rich's chest. 

"'Cause you're dangerous right now, Jakey-D. You're not yourself." He finally spotted the syringe he needed, on a table inside the cell. He fumbled with the keys, trying to figure out which one was the right one for the door.

[Jake hissed from inside the cell](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2kXC-cy7jeE&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=8&t=0s) as he shifted how he sat. "I'm not feeling too hot, Rich. I... I don't feel good at all. I think I need a doctor," he barely insisted, looking up at Rich with eyes that made his chest do some more funny things that Rich did not like right now.

"We've got you the closest thing we can," Rich assured him. "But you can't be let out now. I don't like this, but I have to keep you here." His voice and hands were both shaking as he managed to unlock the cell door and slip inside. He pocketed the keys as he started towards the knock out drug.

"No, Rich!" The seriousness in Jake's voice had Rich stop and flinch. He turned to look at Jake, whose eyes were wide. "They left me here to die, Richie. You're the only one who can save me now." Jake smiled in a way that did so many things to Rich's heart (and chest). "Free me, and we'll get out of here, together. Please."

He wanted to, he really wanted to, but- "I can't, Jake. I'm sorry, but I can't let you out. You're dangerous."

Jake looked off to the side, a saddened look set deep into his features as a melody started playing- wait, no- " _I'm tied up, Richie. Tied up with you._ "

"Wait, Jake, please, no. Don't do that-"

Jake turned his head to gaze, seemingly deeply into Rich's soul as he continued. " _You understand me._ " His eyes gazed down to Rich's pockets. " _Now hand me those keys._ "

Rich reached to cover his pocket instantly, acting on instinct. He was terrified, and even if he hated the jazzy songs or the boppy pop songs (he much preferred rock), he couldn't help but sort of sway as he leaned backwards away from Jake. What was wrong with him?

" _The keys to my past. God, we were young once, open and fun once, and free. Let go of this grip on me._ " Was he talking metaphorically or literally? Was Jake actually implying he felt something for Rich? No way. He couldn't be.

Somehow, Jake was managing to dance on the chair he was sitting on as he kept belting his heart out. " _You tied up my heart, you tied me down. Now break me open-_ " Oh god, he spread his legs- no! " _-with your love and mercy._ " Wait, why was Rich swaying from side-to-side over to Jake now?

He couldn't help it, and the song was damn catchy. " _Richie!_ " He ended up right next to Jake, who wrapped his legs around him, holding him in place. Rich was ashamed to say he squealed in shock and weakly tried to escape as Jake started... well he started getting really into the song. " _You're breaking my heart, Rich. Got one foot in the ditch. Just let me go, and I'll love you, ooh!_ "

"Oh, Jake, I love you too, but I can't let you go! You're not you right now, and- and you said you were straight!" No wait, snap out of it, Goranski! He was infected. Rich yanked himself back, turning away. God, why was he falling for this. He was head over heels for Jake, but he'd never been this weak to him before!

Jake stuck his lower lip out, pouting up at Rich. "Richie, baby! Apple of my eye! Don't you twust me? Can you please just listen to me?" 

There were so many conflicting thoughts in Rich's head, and he couldn't get anything out by the time Jake continued almost serenading, almost confessing to Rich. " _I've effed up, Richie... Effed up with you. All the lies and dating, and all the damn bad faking._ " Wait, the faking? What kind of faking? " _But they didn't count, they couldn't break me. You're the one who caged me in chains. Please, take away my pain,_ " Jake almost begged, staring up at Rich with wide, honest eyes.

" _Richie! Let me hold you for one, Rich._ " Jake stood up with the chair, dancing over to Rich. He scooted onto the floor and Rich fell into his lap. " _Just free up my arms, and I'll give you a pansexual hug._ " Pansexual? What? Jake wasn't straight? Rich couldn't help but melt against the boy for a moment before realizing his mistake and jumping to his feet, running off. No, that was bad. He needed to be stronger than this!

Jake seemed to stumble for a moment before falling down to his knees, his arms shifting along with the chair keeping him bound. " _Richie, will you ever forgive me? I'll crawl on my hands and knees-_ " God, Jake was already halfway there. " _-If you untie me, Rich and gay up my heart._ "

" _Heart, you tied me down. Now break me open, with your love and mercy._ " Voices from nowhere seemed to sing around them. Rich almost went to his own knees just to hold Jake, who looked so sad but so hopeful, but then he remembered himself.

He stumbled backwards with a shout. He had to grab something, didn't he? Something to knock Jake out, right? Why couldn't he remember what it was?

Just as he was trying to remember, back against the cell's wall, Jake gasped as if he was in immense pain. " _Oh fuck, I'm fading fast, I think you better come quick. I really don't wanna die alone in here. Time to say our goodbyes at the start of the road,_ " Jake sung before he started coughing, hissing as it sounded like he was coughing up a lung or something, holy shit.

No! Jake couldn't die, he just couldn't! He had so much to live for, and he and Rich finally had a chance together. "Just hang on Jake, you'll be alright!" He had to be, right?

Jake shook his head, his coughing fit ending as he continued. " _This body's not gonna last, the air is cold and thick. I'm losing my last remaining hope for us._ " He was slowly dripping forward in his knelt position, the chair still holding his wrists back. " _My hands are tied in knots and I can't find home. I wanna die in your arms in the morning... glow._ " 

Any last strength Jake had to keep himself up vanished, and he fully dropped to the ground along with the chair.

He was dead?!

"Jake, no, Jake! What have I done? Did I really kill him? Oh god, what have I done?!" There wasn't anything else to do. Rich dove over to Jake and undid his cuffs, freeing him and pulling the boy's lifeless body into his lap, cradling him close as he began sobbing. "I'm sorry, Jake, I'm sorry."

For a second, Rich swore he imagined Jake shifting because Jake was dead, he had killed him with how many times he had hit him, and-

" _Richie!_ " Jake exclaimed, popping up and cupping Rich's cheeks. Surprise and shock overtook Rich, keeping him still as his mind reeled with what just happened. The feeling in his chest told him to stay put, so Rich did as he still tried to register what was happening. " _You brought me back from the dead, Rich! My light was in red. I saw God, and he told me, Rich, to gay up my heart._ "

The chorus from nowhere started up again, but Rich paid it no mind. Jake was alive and okay and even if he was singing, he was there with Rich. He said he loved Rich. That he wanted them to be together.

Without thinking or really caring about the consequences, Rich started leaning forward as the music ended. Jake leaned up too and their lips connected in a shy but joyful kiss. It was perfect, and Jake was reaching up and holding him so gently and lovingly and-

As they pulled back, Rich got a facefull of grey dust-like stuff from Jake's mouth. Oh no! That was the same stuff from before! He started coughing hard as he felt himself changing, but Jake shifted his grip, holding him sweetly.

"Now I can free up your heart too, Richie," Jake cooed, and Rich couldn't help but agree as he looked back up at Jake.

Now he was reborn and could help Jake do the same to everyone else. 

"Thank you, Jake."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! This chapter is where everything goes to hell. It's got some of my favourite songs in it, both from the actual musical and from the rewrites we did, /and/ it's where you can expect the unexpected. Remember how I said things only get worse from here? Yeah, this is why. Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person :3c
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> So... This is one of my favorite chapters. ;3c It has some of my favorite songs and some of my favorite moments from this fic in it. Be prepared. Those who may know the musical may be shocked by what happens next... This fic only /half/ follows the musical, by the way.   
> You've been warned. Enjoy!

Michael was tense. He hated how harsh Chloe was being on Jeremy. He understood, sure, but he didn't agree with it in the slightest.

"I promise, I didn't mean it at all, Chloe. I'm really sorry,” he tried again, staying close to Michael but still sounding sincere and almost hurt. He was hurting because he hurt someone else.

"And how the hell do I know that you didn't mean to? I don't even know you," Chloe said, eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Chloe, I can't know that he didn't, but Marshal knows him and Mikey here. If you can't trust him, can't you trust Marshal or Michael?" Brooke offered.

Chloe scowled and turned away, clearly unimpressed. Jeremy sagged a little. "I get that you won't accept my apology, but... I'm gonna find a way to make it up to you. That person you met in the alleyway, that's not who I am." Despite his clear guilt and sorrow, Jeremy still sounded determined and Michael was so proud of how he was trying to fix things.

"Mm, whatever you say," Chloe muttered, clearly not won over.

Brooke gave Jeremy a trying look, but couldn't do much else. "Are you feeling better, at least? I know the person we met in the alley apparently had a really high fever."

"I'm much better, thanks." He shot Brooke a weak smile. "Mikey's been taking good care of me, and so has my uncle. I should be back to full health by tonight at the latest, according to him." Jeremy was still sort of leaning on Michael, needing the physical support since he was a little shaky still (Michael couldn't really blame him, what with the fever and possibly being partly infected; it was a lot). It was wonderful being so close and feeling so needed by him right then.

Brooke nodded, giving a tender smile before sitting down. "That's good. We sorta can't afford to lose anyone else, especially to things like sickness right now," she said with a shrug. "Any idea what caused the fever? A stomach bug shouldn't give you that."

Jeremy hesitated, and Michael gave his arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Jeremy shot him a grateful, almost adoring smile (stop projecting, Mell) before turning back to Brooke. "Actually-"

[The basement door](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p3d6GK2n_2o&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=8) slammed open, causing everyone to jump as they looked over. "Rich?"

Rich walked out, but he was followed by Jake, who was grinning almost maniacally. "It is time..." Rich's head jolted up from its bent position before, grinning just as manically as Jake. " _To di-ie!_ " he scream-sung, Jake air-guitaring in the background in absolute awe.

Oh god no.

Michael grabbed Jeremy and pulled him backwards, away from the slowly advancing musical number. He also took a moment to appreciate how well that high note was held. It might be fucking terrifying, but Michael was a music guy. He knew a good voice when he heard it.

Brooke and Chloe were also backing up, but they weren't together like Michael was with Jeremy. Brooke seemed to be stuck against the back of the chair in pure fear. Chloe was by the locked door to Reyes' lab, smacking on it without looking away from Rich or Jake.

" _Sorry to interrupt, but we got strings to pluck. The time for chaos is long past overdue._ " Rich seemed to be the singer for this song. Jake was just his hype man so far.

The two kept walking closer as Rich sung, a step taken for each line Rich sung. " _Death isn't optional. In fact, it's optimal. Your time is up and now we remake you._ "

Jake went to Chloe and Brooke, the two yelping as they managed to stumble away and back up together to one side of the room. Rich stood closer to Jeremy and Michael as he moved his hands in an, admittedly, rocking way to the rock-esque music that was playing. " _We tried to convince you through soliloquy._ " Jake then stood behind Rich, sort of fist bumping into the air as Rich continued. " _But now we'll kill you with more than harmonies!_ ”

Then both Rich and Jake turned to face away from all four, grinning that manic grin as Rich shout-sung, " _Just die!_ "

Jeremy clung to Michael in fear as both Jake and Rich started singing. These voices were high and creepy, making Michael's skin crawl and starting Jeremy shaking a bit again. " _Join us and die. Join us and die. Join us and die. All you gotta do is-_ " Jake turned to face Michael and Jeremy, which Rich turned to face the girls, both following identical choreography. " _Join us and die. Join us and die. Join us and die. All you gotta do is-!_ "

Michael and Chloe both locked eyes, nodding to each other as they made a break for it with Jeremy and Brooke. Well, they tried, but they got caught by Jake and Rich, who sort of corralled them into the middle of the room.

" _Here's how it’s gonna go: we're gonna kick your ass, and then we're gonna-_ "

" _-fucking kick your ass,_ " both Jake and Rich sung as Rich pointed to the group before running towards them, causing everyone to back up against each other.

" _We're gonna puff all these bots into your face so there’s lots-_ " So that's how they did it, and how Jake must've gotten Rich! " _-and all your thoughts will be enhanced._ "

As Rich sung that last line, everyone tried to make a break for it, but Jeremy and Brooke broke off to one side while he and Chloe broke off to the other side, damnit. Now they had Rich and Jake keeping them separated on other sides of the room.

Jeremy seemed to be alright standing on his own, thank god, but he and Brooke were stuck and Michael couldn't think of how to rescue them.

" _It's a death-like process that you gotta see!_ " Rich sang aggressively (somehow) with Jake adding a harmony in the background. " _The old you dies, the new you is complete! Now die!_ "

They started to creepily sing the chorus again, Rich and Jake, before turning to Jeremy and Brooke. They kept singing it, inching closer, and Michael felt his chest tighten. They were obviously going for Brooke.

"Please, no, don't grab Brookie!" Chloe cried, only being held back by Michael. Her going in there to try to grab Brooke would only result in more people getting hurt. 

Still, Michael felt his own heart ache as he yelled, "Don't hurt either of them! Snap out of it, please!"

Jeremy's expression hardened as Jake and Rich reached out. With an almighty shove, he pushed Brooke out the way and let himself be grabbed in her place. Brooke screamed, but more from surprise and fear than from actually being hurt.

" _Punch it! Squeeze it! Crush it! Kill it! Ride it! Drag it! Wind it up, kick its nuts!_ " With every announcement, Jake and Rich started beating up Jeremy, not holding back in the slightest. The only time they hesitated was after 'kick its nuts' when Jake clearly found none.

Still, as they climbed off of Jeremy, he struggled to get up. It took a lot out of him, and he was covered in bruises already starting to form. He even had a cut on his cheek where Rich had punched him.

Jake turned to Brooke, who was scrambling to get up to her feet. Brooke screamed and Rich kept Chloe and Michael from going after her or Jeremy as he started to close in on them. Jake started to reach for Brooke, almost grabbing her as he started singing, " _Here's how it's gonna go-_ "

Then there was a distinct _bzzz_ in the air, and Jake's eyes widened before he dropped, barely missing Brooke as she screamed again and dragged herself out of the way. Reyes stood behind where Jake had been, seemingly unphased as he held a taser in his hand.

Rich turned, following the wires that were attached to Reyes' taser. He let out a remarkably high note as a battle cry before running at him. Marshal popped out from behind Reyes and shot the other taser, downing Rich in seconds.

"Did anyone get hit by their bots?" Reyes asked seriously as Marshal ran over to help Jeremy up. "We don't have long. Answer me!"

"No, no, none of us got hit by the bots," Michael assured Reyes as he and Chloe helped Brooke up and to her feet. Brooke sort of clung to Chloe then, whimpering a little as Chloe tried to comfort her friend.

Jeremy tugged on Marshal, trying to get closer to Michael. He looked exhausted and, as soon as Marshal helped him to get within reach, he practically fell against Michael, clinging to him just as desperately as Brooke was to Chloe. 

"'Re you okay, Brooke? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Of course that's what he was worried about, the self-sacrificing idiot.

Brooke shook her head, looking at Jeremy with worry. "No, you didn't. 'M fine. Are _you_ alright, my god," she asked around a gasp, reaching a hand over to cup Jeremy's hurt cheek.

Jeremy waved her off with a wobbly grin. "M'fine. S'not the first time I've been beat up by Rich. S'the first time for Jake though. Ow." He rubbed his lower stomach, close to his crotch. "That kick hurt. Never thought I'd be glad to be ball-less."

Brooke's eyes softened and something seemed to dance in Chloe's eyes before Reyes cleared his throat. "We need to get going now. This place is compromised. Is there another safe place for us to go?"

"Oh, uh, maybe my house. My parents are out of town this week for their anniversary," Brooke offered. "It should be empty and good to hide out in."

"That will work. Miss Lohst, you'll sit in the front and direct Michael. I'll start bandaging Jeremy up in the car. Let's move."

Everyone nodded, and Marshal and Reyes started bringing up the front. Chloe seemed to think before nodding, helping Michael to carry Jeremy as they started to head out, Brooke ahead of them. 

"Wait!" Everyone abruptly stopped, staring expectantly at Reyes as he took out... sick masks? "Wear these. They'll keep you protected from the spores," he explained, handing them out quickly before putting on his own. Once everyone had their mask on, they all continued out of Reyes' house.

Very soon, the Cruiser was in sight. They'd be out of there in no time. Or that's what Michael thought, right up until the music started. SHIT!

[He shoved Jeremy towards Chloe](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr2XxHj_yHw&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=14) as he felt a hand close around his wrist and his mask get ripped off his face. After a brief coughing fit as he tried to force out the spores or bots or whatever they were, he felt his brain start rearranging. NO!

" _Why do you hide?_ " Rich asked, grinning. How was he up already? Jake was right behind him, getting closer every second. " _What are you so afraid of, that you stifle the music inside you?_ "

Michael tried to struggle as Rich's grip on him tightened, and as Jeremy and Chloe both stopped and turned around, eyes wide. " _Just join us now. What is with all the fuss? Fight it all you want, Michael, we’re in no rush._ " God, Jake sounded so smug as he sang and as Michael tried to violently cough out the spores. Would it work? Could it work? God, he wanted it to since his head was already blaring and flaring up with pain.

From nowhere, a shadow loomed over Michael. When he looked up, he saw it was Dustin. Oh god, when did he get here? Were the others okay?

" _And I know you’ve got a voice there._ " Dustin was one of the only people to have heard Michael sing. " _You've just got to give up your choice._ "

Michael was surrounded as he was forced to his feet by Dustin and Jake. All the people he recognized as friends or people he knew through Jeremy. " _Just join us, join us, join us!_ " They all demanded through the chorus. " _Join us, join us, join us! Just join us, join us, join us! Join us, join us—_ " He'd show them. Michael took a deep breath, ready to deny that he ever would.

" _Never!_ " 

Oh no. He felt himself start to shake as Rich let him go, allowing him to sway for a second before stumbling and falling onto his knees. God, he felt like he was burning up and his muscles ached. "What was that?"

"You're joining us." Christine sounded proud. No!

"Was that a note, _or just a sound? Am I finally coming 'round to a rhyming scheme_?" He couldn't stop the little hand wiggle as he was forced to climb to his feet again, unable to stop the singing or the dancing. He had to fight back! "Oh god! Just go guys!" Were they even still here? He hoped not. He didn't want Jeremy to have to see him reduced to this.

Focusing his eyes, he saw Chloe clinging on to Jeremy, keeping him restrained. Michael couldn't dare look at Jeremy's face right now, so he shut his eyes tight and tried to keep fighting back. " _I'm split in two._ This isn't me- _Yes, this is you!_ " 

God, Michael wanted to get sick. His body trying to fight back the nanobots made it feel like he'd get sick. " _Am I screwed?_ I'm coming apart." 

Forcing his eyes open, Michael saw Brooke coming over and he was finally able to see Jeremy's face. His voice was drowned out by the music, but he knew what Jeremy was screaming by his tearful gaze. "Here, take my keys!" Michael managed to grab them and toss them over to Brooke who, somehow, caught them with ease before being dragged back into the song.

" _La da da da da da da da da-_ " He could fight this! "NO!" Maybe not. " _No no no no-_ " They were still there, why weren't they running? "Please, god, just go!"

The chorus started up again, echoing around him as he fell to his knees. He would fight this as long as possible, but Jeremy needed to go. He tried to convey that through his gaze as his mouth started working on its own once more. He wasn't even singing all the time, but his voice was starting to gain a mind of its own.

"Since when do I sing? _Since now it feels so right. I’m finally starting to understand, starting to see the light._ " Singing felt good, but Michael knew it wasn't. He needed to be stronger, damnit!

"No! I’m stronger than that!" Michael insisted as he held onto his knees, hands digging into his pants. " _Though I’m not so sure I am._ " He looked up, right into Jeremy's teary eyes. It was just Jeremy and Chloe left, Chloe still being the only thing keeping him from running to Michael. Good. He just needed Jeremy to understand that he needed to go _now_.

"I’m falling into darkness, _like the slaughter of a lamb._ I can’t fight much longer, _even though I’m trying._ " God, it felt like his brain was being mushed and tossed around, smushed and scrambled, and he wanted to scream.

He was being forced to sing instead.

  
“ _My time is up_ \- I can’t give up.” He forced himself to focus on the one thing that he knew he'd always be able to focus on. Maybe that would buy them some time.

" _Wait, is Jeremy crying?_ "

The chorus started up again, with Michael thrashing and screaming. He could feel it overtaking him, he had seconds left, at best. 

Then suddenly everything made sense.

"[Join ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYMOCAD8Js&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=15)_[me](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYMOCAD8Js&list=PLxO1pcJguxmgN6Sh72EawJnWQzf2IhcKX&index=15). _" Jeremy wasn't gone yet. There was still a chance for him to be happy. The music shifted at Michael's silent request to better suit his explanation. He could help Jeremy.

  
Able to stand now, Michael smiled down at Jeremy, ignoring Chloe now in favor of him. He knew how to help Jeremy, but he had to apologize first. " _Remy, I'm sorry. I was lost. Remy, I'm sorry. I had lost my way before._ " Good, there was a soft, flourishing piano piece accompanying him now. It needed to slowly build.

Jeremy was scared, even if his tears had stopped in favour of just staring at Michael with wide eyes. Michael had to explain before anything else. That would help.

" _What if I told you that I realized, just what was wrong earlier? I didn't give all this a chance, I had been such a worrier,_ " he offered, smiling at Jeremy.

Chloe seemed to be so surprised that she let her grip loose on Jeremy. Good. He'd need Jeremy to come over once he understood. " _What if I told you a story, that you just needed to join me?_ " There was a smidge of doubt in Jeremy's eyes that quickly went away when Michael offered his hand. " _Hey, trust me, and you can see that it's inevitable, Remy._ " Good, the others backed his last line perfectly.

Of course they did. They were his chorus line, his ensemble for this song.

Jeremy's expression was soft, eyes unfocused, as he pulled away from Chloe and started reaching for Michael.

"Jerry, no, get away from him! That's not Mickey, he’s one of them!" Chloe yelled, grabbing Jeremy back and starting to tug him away. Jeremy started fighting and screaming for Michael as he was pulled off. Michael just kept begging him though his lyrics, knowing Jeremy would see reason and hoping he'd be strong enough to pull away.

" _Join me, please,_ " Michael begged, walking forward at this point with his ensemble backing him up and following him. He barely noticed his Cruiser until the trunk popped open. " _And we'll live in harmony, just you and me, please._ "

Taking another step forward as Chloe dragged Jeremy into the Cruiser, Michael reached out for Jeremy with pleading eyes. He was the only one who could help Jeremy, and he was just so close.

" _Join me, Remy._ "

  
  
  


Jeremy reached out his hand but the trunk slammed closed before he could properly reach Michael. NO! He needed Michael!

Even as he felt the car speed off, he started thrashing and screaming. "Take me back! Take me back! Michael! NO!" He was pounding against the side of the car, trying to get it to open again. "Why did you take me?!" he demanded, tears starting to overtake him. "Why didn't you just leave me like the stu-" A sob cut him off as he started to lose his energy. "Like the stupid, lovesick-..." He couldn't manage to form any more words as he curled up and started sobbing outright.

Jeremy only flinched after sobbing for however long because of a tentative touch to his back. When he flinched, however, the hand quickly pulled back, as if startled by his reaction. "We'll be at Brooke's place soon, hopefully," Chloe said from by him, her voice faint compared to normal.

His cry had helped clear his head somewhat. Chloe hadn't taken him, she'd saved him. Saved him from becoming like Michael. Oh god, he wanted to be sick, but he'd rather die than taint Michael's car like that.

"Th- thank you,” he managed to croak out. "F'r savin' me. M'sorry f'r screamin'."

"Well, I wasn't about to let you go too. We can't almost half ourselves so soon... and you _did_ save Brookie. She would've killed me if I didn't save you."

"Still." Jeremy tried his best to shift himself to be in that half sitting up position that Chloe was in. "Thanks. You're... you're nicer than I am. I dunno if I'd have been able to stop someone who was as deep in it as I was."

Chloe didn't look at Jeremy as she looked out the sliver of a back window they got. "Well, we can't afford to lose so many more people, like I said," she explained as she messed with one of her many bangle bracelets.

"I'm not sure how many more losses I can take,” Jeremy admitted softly as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "Michael's my best friend. And Christine was almost as close. I've lost them both, seen them both been turned."

“I couldn’t have guessed with how much you were screaming Michael’s name,” Chloe murmured.

"Yeah, well..." What the hell, it was the end of the world. What did it matter if he outed himself at this point? It was already pretty obvious. "He's not _just_ my best friend. He's... I have very strong feelings for him."

“Yeah, I could tell. No one screams someone’s name like that so many times unless they’re in love with them,” Chloe said before glancing back at Jeremy. “Look, even if you started off on the worst foot with me, I know what it’s like to lose people you care for. My brother tried to turn me this morning, and then all of this with Jake along with Brooke almost being taken...” Chloe let out a heavy sigh. “I get it, Jerry. We’ve both lost people we care for.”

"Yeah." Jeremy sighed heavily. Then he glanced up at Chloe. "Well you don't deserve to lose anyone else either. I'll... I'll do my best to keep _your_ best friend safe, even if I couldn't help my own."

Chloe gave him a look that Jeremy didn’t quite get. “... Maybe Brookie was right about you.”

Jeremy sort of ducked his head, embarrassed. "I'm not _really_ an asshole, if that's what you mean. I was just sick. I genuinely don't believe a word of what I said back in the alley. M'not even sure where it came from." That was partly a lie, but with how much fear and paranoia that was going around, Jeremy couldn't risk revealing that he might have a partial infection.

“Brooke was the one _defending_ you,” Chloe reminded him, rolling her eyes. “She was the one saying that your sickness and stress made you say that stuff when you didn’t mean it. Like I said, maybe she was right about you.”

Jeremy chuckled sheepishly. “Guess I’m just a dumb-dumb then,” he joked. “And- er- Chloe? Thanks again.”

“Yeah, just don’t go screaming Michael’s name over and over like that again.”

Jeremy chuckled again, this time a little sadly. It would be a long time before he could think of Michael without feeling sad. They’d just have to figure out a cure. “Deal.”

  
  


Shimizu beckoned the new recruits closer, looking them over. He had Goranski, who was clinging to Jake happily, and he had Mell. That was Heere’s friend, the one who always wore the headphones. He could be useful.

“You.” He pointed to Mell. “Come with me, I want to talk while I work.” Shimizu started toward his office without looking back. He knew the boy would follow. As he got out his tools to start work on the big tank of nanobots, he started formulating a plan. “Mell, I want to know this: What is the one thing Heere wouldn’t be able to resist coming for if it was offered or in danger?”

“That would be me, sir,” Mell told him. “We’ve been best friends since we were five, and he almost joined when I was asking him to. If it wasn’t for the others holding him back, Jeremy would have joined straight away.”

Hmm, that was interesting. “Very well. I want you to start organizing a number with the others. I’ll give you total creative freedom with it, so go wild. We’re going to give Jeremy a show this evening.” Shimizu nodded before pausing. “And activate the back up plan. Miss Caligula will know what to do. The more who have joined us, the better off and more receptive Jeremy will be by this evening.”

Mell gave a big grin as he nodded. After giving a bow, he left, humming what seemed to be the starting tune of his number. Ah, it sounded vaudeville-esque. What a perfect addition it would be to cap off the capture of everyone in Middleborough with.

Shimizu nodded proudly before turning back to the tank. Soon, enough everyone in Middleborough would be in perfect harmony, singing the same tune. And after that, with the help of all the bots this tank would be filled with, well, the world would be too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So, how was that last chapter? Painful enough for you? >:3c Well this one is gonna hurt too. Maybe not as much, but you bet your britches that it's still painful. Still, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person :3c
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Yeah, last chapter was bad. It’s only going to get worse from here. I’m very sorry and I hope that you guys are buckled in as this ride gets tougher and rougher.

It didn't take too long to get to Brooke's house. It was more secluded, away from the hustle and bustle of town and, hopefully, the musical zombies. Even Uncle Reyes approved of it, though he muttered about it not being too well defended structurally, whatever that meant.

Brooke parked the Cruiser in her garage, popping the trunk for Jeremy and Chloe as Jeremy's phone started ringing with the ringtone set for his dad.

Jeremy tensed up and pulled it out, hesitant to answer but also not wanting to leave his dad (who could still be okay) alone.

"Dad?" he asked softly, sure he sounded at least a little hopeful and a lot heartbroken. Chloe shot him a surprised look as they both climbed out.

“Oh Private, you’re alright, thank god,” Jeremy heard his dad sigh out. “You’re in a safe place, right? And with people you can trust?”

“I- I’m with Uncle Reyes,” Jeremy managed to stammer out. “And we’re safe for now. His house got- it got overrun. And they got Michael.” That last bit came out like a sob.

“Oh god, Private... I’m so sorry.” Jeremy could hear the ache in his dad’s voice. “You stay there, stay safe with your uncle, alright? The neighborhood is crawling with them, but I’ve managed to hide out in the basement. Just... stay safe, alright?”

“Should... should we come to you? You won’t be able to stay there long, dad.” They didn’t have much food in the house, he wouldn’t last very long without it. “I’m with some people from school. We’re at one of their houses. Maybe we should come get you so we can be together?” Jeremy didn’t want to say how scared and lonely he was. His uncle and his friends were good, but he needed someone he really knew right then. As he spoke, Jeremy let himself be guided into the house, and the door closed behind them.

“Absolutely not. Like I said, it’s too dangerous around here right now,” his dad admonished. “You stay safe with your friends and uncle. Coming here is just asking to be caught, and I know I taught you better than that. Even if I want to be with you right now, knowing that you’re safe and have a chance of escaping is just as good.” Even as his dad said that, there was a slight hint of worry and admittance of defeat. “You know I love you, right, Jeremy?”

“I love you too dad.” Jeremy was properly sobbing again. “Dad, I’m scared.” He couldn’t help it. It was getting too much, and hearing his dad say he did love him (it had been a while, since mom left, when he last heard that) was overwhelming.

“I can only imagine how scared you are right now,” his dad murmured over the phone. “Just... please stay safe. Please.”

“I will,” Jeremy agreed softly. “Don’t go near any of them, they spread through puffs of grey bots. I- I’ve seen it happen.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, son.” There was a very brief pause before his dad added, “I love you. Please, don’t turn. I know how much you hate musicals.”

“Don’t plan on it.” Jeremy chuckled weakly. “Do... do you wanna talk to Uncle Reyes?”

“Yeah, that would be good. Thanks.”

Jeremy handed over the phone to his Uncle. “Hello Jason,” he began. He listened for a moment. “Of course I’ve been looking after him! What happened to Michael was a complete accident! There was nothing I could have done!” he protested angrily. There was another pause before he continued. “Oh, as if you’ve been dad of the year.”

His uncle huffed, glancing over at Jeremy before quickly walking out of the room, presumably so the rest of the conversation couldn’t be half-heard.

Jeremy spotted a couch and quickly went over to curl up on it. He was getting overwhelmed and was well on his way to a panic attack if he didn’t calm down. Of course, that would likely spike his fever again, and then they’d be screwed since Uncle Reyes didn’t take all the medicine he had in his safe house. Not to mention, the one person who could reliably calm Jeremy down was a musical zombie now. Fuck.

He felt a dip in the couch shortly after he sat down. “Hey. I’m guessing you’re not doing well,” Brooke said. “Do you wanna talk about it? Talking things out makes me feel better.”

Jeremy sighed, before nodding. Taking _did_ help, and even if Brooke was no Michael, she seemed sweet and genuine. “I’m just- I’m really freaked right now. I lost one of my best friends, I saw my very best friend and crush turn right in front of me, and now I know my dad is okay, but he’s halfway across town and I can’t see him. And I have no idea of when I’ll see him again or if he’ll even still be him.” He curled up tighter, finally taking a breath after venting it all in one. That helped somewhat but it didn’t stop the ache he was feeling in his chest.

Brooke was quiet for a little bit before telling him, “I can’t say that I know what that feels like, but I do know that I can be here for you. If you need to vent or say anything without worry or someone saying it to others, you can tell me. I may spread some rumors, but there’s no one to say this to and I don’t spill about personal matters like this.”

Jeremy shot Brooke a weak, weary smile. “Thanks Brooke. I really-“ He cut himself off as he heard it. The sound of singing, of music, nearby. Quickly, he shot to his feet and ran to the window where Chloe was. “Get away from there! There’s a number coming our way!” he hissed, tugging her back and letting the curtain fall closed.

Everyone was quiet then. A pin could be heard if it dropped as the number carried out. It involved some little girls singing about no more school and how boys drooled or something like that. They passed by the house, thankfully paying them no mind.

After a moment, Jeremy relaxed. “They’re gone. You gotta be careful, we can’t risk getting seen,” he reminded Chloe gently, rubbing her arm where he’d grabbed her and pulled her back. “Sorry about the rough treatment, by the way.”

“I mean, I would’ve rather you have pulled me down than us have been caught,” Chloe mumbled, rubbing her arm as well.

“Yeah, well, still. Sorry.” He shrugged. “We need to be really careful now, though. There are gonna be numbers all over town. That was just a small one, but I’m sure there will be more coming our way at some point...” Which meant his dad, who was basically deaf in one ear, wouldn’t know and wouldn’t be safe. “Oh god, my dad might not be able to hear them,” he muttered.

“Wait, what?” Chloe asked. “Why not? If anything, he should just know to not answer the door for anyone and stay away from people.”

“He’s deaf in one ear and his hearing is iffy in the other,” Jeremy explained. “It’s an old injury from his military days. It means he can’t really tell directions of sounds, and sometimes he can’t hear at all. He wouldn’t hear them coming after him if he alerts a number by accident.”

Chloe quickly stopped talking then, her eyes wide for a moment. 

“Well... Is there any way we could make it over to him? I know it’s dangerous right now-“

“It is, Brookie. We should stay here, even if it hurts to do that.”

“How am I supposed to just leave him?” Jeremy asked quietly, genuinely asking. “I’ve already lost almost everyone else. Even if he hasn’t been the best dad recently, he’s all I got left really. I barely know Uncle Reyes, even if he is technically family.”

“If you go to him, you could get taken too,” Chloe said. “He wouldn’t want you to sacrifice yourself, especially if he already has a disadvantage like that.”

“Chloe!”

“What? I’m being honest! Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do in a situation like this?!”

Jeremy thought it over. “I feel like... I need to go get him,” he said slowly. Jeremy wasn’t sure what it was, but he had a feeling deep in his chest telling him that. He needed his dad, he had to get him back. His dad was all he had left.

“That’s basically a suicide mission. Going through town and past so many musical zombies,” Chloe commented, ignoring Brooke’s yells. “I’m right, Brooke! He’s going to get turned if he goes.”

“I won’t get turned.” Jeremy waved her off. The longer he thought about it, the more right this felt. He _had_ to go and get his dad. “I can hear them coming and avoid them. Besides, I know a shortcut from here that will let me avoid downtown where they all are.”

“You’re recovering from being _sick_. There is no way you could make it there, let alone back.” Chloe huffed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m gonna go check on Marshal to see what he’s doing. You two better be here when I get back.”

As soon as she was gone, Jeremy stood up. “Brooke, can you pass me Michael’s keys please?” he asked, holding out his hand.

Brooke looked up at Jeremy as she gnawed on her lower lip. “Do you even have your license?”

“Nope, but I’ve driven Michael’s car almost as much as he has. And I’ve done all my lessons.”

“Are you in a stable enough mental state to drive?”

“Yes.” He felt wide awake and stronger than he had in days. This was the right thing to do, and he knew it. If it was giving him energy, it had to be right, right?

Brooke looked him over before glancing to where Chloe had gone. “You tell me how to get there and I can drive us. I’m not letting you go alone.”

Jeremy grinned brightly and hugged Brooke. “Thank you Brooke.”

Brooke hugged him back before quickly hurrying with him to the garage. “Chloe’s gonna kill me, but c’mon.”

  
  
  


The drive over was surprisingly simple, as Jeremy seemed to be able to hear the numbers and where they were going. The closer he got to home, the more right it felt, and by the time they made it to his street, Jeremy’s chest was pounding.

“Pull into the garage with the red door. We’re gonna sneak in through Michael’s house,” he instructed Brooke, pointing it out. “Dad leaves all the doors locked at all times and I don’t have my keys. We’re gonna need to use my secret entrance.”

Brooke raised a brow but didn’t argue as she looked and found the garage door opener. She pressed it and pulled into Michael’s garage, slowly stopping the car and turning the engine off before handing Michael’s keys to Jeremy. “I’m guessing you two are neighbors?”

“Yup. It’s how we properly met, ” Jeremy reminisced fondly as he climbed out the car. “We became friends in kindergarten, and then when his mom picked him up, I got sad until I saw the same car outside the house next to us. Then I ran right over and started pounding on the door until one of his moms opened up.” He sighed, smiling softly. “We’ve been practically inseparable since.”

Brooke hummed softly as she shut the door and closed the garage door before waiting by the door into the house. “I can only imagine. You two must’ve gone through a lot together.”

“Yeah. He’s been with me through everything, and vice versa. He’s even the reason I’m called Jeremy.” He grinned, unlocking the door. Mama and Ina must have been out when everything went down; they left the front unlocked if they were home.

“Wait, really?” Brooke looked confused as she looked Jeremy over. “Hasn’t that always been your name?”

Jeremy arched an eyebrow at her. “No? I used to be Annabelle. I thought you’d figured it out by now.” He grinned brightly. “Guess I’m looking more masculine than ever!” That was a good feeling. It was awesome, and it helped soothe some dysphoria he had lingering from the encounter with Rich (he was glad he didn’t have nuts to kick, but still. It was an awkward reminder).

Brooke’s mouth hung ajar before she walked in after Jeremy. “I thought Annabelle had moved away and you moved in and became Michael’s new best friend in middle school. Well, I guess that’s sort of true, but still.”

Jeremy gave her a playful salute. “Nope. Still here and queer... well sorta. I’m Jeremy now, and that’s the important part. Though my mom still calls me Annie. Blegh.” He led the way up toward Michael’s bedroom. Even if he slept in the basement more than his own room, Michael’s room was still filled with all his stuff and lead the way to his ticket back into his own house.

“That’s gross, your mom calling you that,” Brooke agreed as she followed him up the stairs. “But you’re Jeremy Heere and now, so that’s all that matters.”

Jeremy shot her a grin over his shoulder. “Thanks Brooke.” They got to the landing and Jeremy started toward the room at the end of the hall. The door was covered in old band posters and video game themed stickers. “But yeah, Mikey is part of the reason I’m called Jeremy. A big part, if I’m honest. I was almost Josh.”

Brooke hummed as she looked over Michael’s door, pointing to one Mario sticker with a smile. “That’s cool. Michael seems like a cool dude.”

“He is.” Jeremy’s smile turned a little melancholy. “He’s the coolest and nicest person I’ve ever met.” He shook himself out of his stupor. He needed to focus. After a quick pause, he opened the door.

Michael’s room was an organized mess, as always. Everything was neat and tidy but set up in a way that made sense only to Michael. It felt like coming home to Jeremy, and it made his heart ache. He spotted Michael’s backpack and his hoodie left on the bed. Michael never took it to work with him; he hated it when the hoodie smelled like coffee, so it was neatly folded on Michael’s bed. Jeremy couldn’t just leave it. He quickly grabbed it, cradling it close to his chest. Some of the familiar smell of weed, slushies, and orange blossom still clung to the fabric. It hurt his heart even more, but he couldn’t bring himself to put it down.

Brooke hummed softly as she walked into the room as well. “Oh, this is such a cool room. I love his polar bear sheets- Oh! He has a rack set up in his room, but for sodas? I need one of those for my LaCroix,” Brooke cooed before she walked next to Jeremy. “Oh, that’s his hoodie, right? Bring it with you.”

Jeremy nodded, still struck mute by the overwhelming feelings. He slipped on the hoodie, relaxing somewhat as he was engulfed in the massive red hoodie. It was big on Michael, so it was _huge_ on Jeremy, but it made him feel safer than he had since he lost Michael (was that really only two hours ago?). He picked up Michael’s backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Mikey keeps a bunch of random stuff in here along with his books. Might have something useful. At the very least it’ll have snacks and a drink.”

“Hopefully it’s some good stuff,” Brooke murmured before she picked up a plush Portal Cube and looked it over. She carefully placed it back onto Michael’s bed before resting her hands on her hips. Honestly, she looked a bit like a nerd with how she was standing and it was adorable. “Down to business though. Now, Jerry, how the hell do we get into your house from here?”

Jeremy grinned mischievously. “Follow me.” He opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. The slope wasn’t too bad, and the gap between his porch roof and the roof of the Mell residence was barely three feet apart. He took a couple of steps, then hopped across. “This way.” He beckoned Brooke over.

Brooke peered out the window, frowning at the sight. “Um... I don’t like heights and possibly falling from said heights,” she admitted as she sheepishly looked between the roof and Jeremy.

“Just focus on me.” Jeremy was terrified of heights but so long as he didn’t focus on below, only where he was going, he knew he’d be fine. “I’m right here. I’ll catch you.” He even held out his arms. “Just trust me, Brooke. You’ll be fine.”

She hesitated before slowly climbing out the window and onto the roof. Brooke took a few hesitant steps across the Mell roof, whimpering as she kept her gaze on Jeremy. “Are you sure I can do this? Maybe I should just stay in Michael’s room...”

“You can do this.” Jeremy said calmly, keeping his gaze locked on Brooke’s eyes. He knew how to help people stay calm, or, well, how to keep Michael calm in just about any situation. This one required gentle encouragement and a focused stare.

Brooke whined a little before forcing herself to walk forward and leaping. She clung to Jeremy once she made it across, gasping after her initial yelp. “Oh my god...”

Jeremy pulled her back, away from the edge, rubbing his hands gently along her back and arms. "Hey, it's okay. You did it, see? And now you don't have to do it again," he cooed softly, his tone reassuring.

She took a few deep, shaky breaths before nodding. “Yeah, yeah... Thank you so much,” Brooke almost sobbed as she clung tighter to Jeremy.

They stood there, holding each other tightly, for a moment. Jeremy knew they were hidden and out of the way, perfect to allow for a moment or two like this. “Feeling better, hun?”

Brooke nodded as she took a few deep breaths. “Yeah, a bit. Can we please get off the roof?”

Jeremy nodded and tugged Brooke over to his window. It was easy to unlatch and open, and soon enough they were both safely inside. Thank god he chose to clean his room the other day, as it wasn’t a complete mess for once.

Brooke quickly got herself settled, looking around his room with a small hum before going and grabbing one of his cardigans hanging from his chair. "Oh, this green one is amazing. You have to tell me where you got this from after this is all over."

"Sure." Jeremy shrugged. "If you like cardigans, I can take you shopping to all the best places." Assuming this did have an end and wasn't just like a real zombie apocalypse where nothing ever really ended. He hoped it ended. He wanted Michael back.

“That would be great.” Brooke gave him a smile, and he could see she was really trying to be positive.

“Awesome.” Jeremy grinned before pausing and quickly heading to his closet. “You normally have a big chunky yellow one, right?” He hadn’t seen her with it at all since this started.

“Yeah, but I washed it and hung it to dry when this all started,” she explained, presumably as she watched Jeremy. “Plus, it didn’t really go with my outfit.”

“Well, d’you want this one until we get back to your place?” He pulled out a pale yellow cardigan made with soft, chunky wool. He never wore it but it was really nice and would probably fit Brooke well. “You can keep it if you want.”

Brooke’s eyes widened as she walked over and felt the cardigan. She gasped softly as she looked up at Jeremy. “Are you sure?”

He shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, I never wore it. Mikey didn’t like the feel of it so it’s been in the back of my closet since.”

Brooke carefully took the cardigan and tried it on before looking at herself in Jeremy’s mirror. It was big enough to look stylishly big on her while providing lots of comfort. “How could he _not_ love the feeling of this?”

“He has issues with some textures.” Jeremy wasn’t going to explain further than that. It wasn’t his place. “Besides, it washes me out, makes me look sick.”

She hummed in understanding at that, seemingly satisfied with that answer. “Alright, valid on both ends.” Brooke turned back to look at Jeremy. “Sorry, sort of derailed there.”

“It’s fine, I just figured you deserved a little thanks for helping me.” He shrugged before starting towards the door. “Dad’s in the basement, so we need to head there.”

“Yeah, this is your house. Lead the way,” Brooke said as she walked behind him. “And... thanks. I know it wasn’t a lot that you just did, but thanks.”

Jeremy felt a burst of pride. He was making friends, even with all the shit that went down. Besides Michael, Christine, and Marshal, Jeremy didn’t really actively make friends on his own, so this was a big thing for him. Plus, Brooke was a cutie and if he wasn’t so hung on Michael, he might even start crushing. She was lovely.

“This way.” He led Brooke down the stairs and down to the basement. The door wasn’t locked, which was a bad sign, but he stayed hopeful. Things would be fine. 

The lights were off but his dad was probably hiding, having heard people in the house, right? He was fine. 

“Dad? Are you here?” he whispered into the darkness.

When there was no response, Jeremy felt his blood go cold. The feeling in his chest told him to keep going in, to keep searching, but Brooke firmly yet carefully grabbed his arm. “If he’s not responding, we should go. I have a bad feeling,” Brooke whispered.

Jeremy looked up at Brooke helplessly before nodding. “You’re right. Let’s go.” He turned to follow her out, but tripped on something (he didn’t think there was anything there!) and tumbled head over heels down the short set of wooden stairs into the basement.

He landed on something soft, a... mattress? With a soft, pained groan, he pushed himself up and looked around. He climbed to his feet. Okay, nothing was broken but there was a _lot_ of hurting. Add that to the beating he got earlier and that was a recipe for a very pained Jeremy. Ow.

“Jerry, are you OK?” Brooke hissed as she came down to meet Jeremy there. She even held out her hand for him to take, and Jeremy started to reach for it. 

“[Attention, Private!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB-56Hec5CE)”

Jeremy’s eyes widened as he snapped to attention, hand raised in a salute. His dad had never sounded so authoritative or commanding, and Jeremy had saluted for less. It was a rule when he was little that, if he had been naughty, he would have to stand in a salute until given permission to move. 

“Sir yes sir!” he cried, unable to stop himself or move out of the salute. What the hell?!

“Jerry, what the h-“

“You’ve been causing trouble, and it’s time to stop.” The darkness of the basement vanished as the lights flickered on, revealing his dad and Michael’s moms in the basement. His dad was up front, moving himself down from a salute, Ina and Mama slowly moving out of it as the music started- oh no. “ _I don’t know what you’ve been told, but my children should fit a mold-_ ”

“Jerry, come on, we need to go!” Brooke screeched as she grabbed Jeremy, trying (and failing) to pull Jeremy away from where he was practically glued to.

“ _There’s a war to fight in this here town, against those who are far too bold._ ” His dad didn’t stop singing and Jeremy felt his heart breaking.

Using all the pain he felt, physical and emotional, he managed to grit out something. “I- can’t- move!” His muscles felt like they were coated in metal, he couldn’t move at all, not even to twitch.

"Wait, what?!"

His dad and Michael's moms started to march over, eyes locked onto the both of them. " _A family relationship, young and old. There’s only room for right and wrong._ "

Brooke tried really hard then, grabbing onto Jeremy's arm and tugging. "There's no way you're actually stuck or something, so- augh, c'mon!"

“Just-go!” he begged as best he could. There wasn’t hope for him, he literally was stuck in attention, but Brooke could still get away.

“ _It’s son or daughter, dad or mom. The parents become the strong._ ” They started circling Jeremy, cutting him off from Brooke. “ _Yeah, we’re great again._ ”

Michael's Ina and Mama started singing the, " _Woah-oh-o-oh,_ " background bit as Brooke kept trying to get back to Jeremy, ignoring how they were pushing her basically back up the stairs with each attempt.

" _Parents know what's best._ " 

To the surprise of everyone, Brooke had seemingly ran back upstairs and back down, grabbing a picture frame from the wall and whacking the adults with it in the head. While the parents were stunned, Brooke grabbed Jeremy's arm and forcefully yanked Jeremy, though he was still saluting, up the stairs. "I'm not leaving without you!"

Jeremy’s legs knocked against the stairs, probably leaving him harsh bruises on his ankles, but he managed to force his legs to step, probably because the song was broken for now. When they reached the top of the stairs, Jeremy found his body could move again and he almost collapsed against Brooke.

“Quick,” he panted, trying to regain his footing, “To the front door.” Brooke nodded and they both started running when Jeremy was grabbed from behind. He yelped in surprise as the singing started up again.

" _You can't run,_ " his dad sang, Ina echoing his words as Mama kept up the background chorus of sorts. He tried dragging Jeremy back, though Brooke seemed determined. She kept her hold on Jeremy's arm, trying to tug him out of his dad's grip. " _'Cause your windows are closed._ "

“ _We’re cracking down on fun._ ” Jeremy kept struggling but everything hurt. This whole fight was making it worse and he was quickly losing steam. “ _And your phone has been disposed._ ” He kept fighting. He never should have come, Chloe was right. “ _The perfect solution._ ”

" _It's a charted course at the whim of our own evolution!_ " Mama and Ina were just singing the background chorus now, and it was clear that Brooke was trying her hardest. She couldn't match the strength of his dad though, that much was clear with how she was straining as she kept trying to tug Jeremy out of his grip. " _Singularity had through a pre-destined self-destruction!_ "

Jeremy realized what he had to do, his only chance. “Brooke, let go for a second,” he hissed. Brooke hesitated, then nodded and let go. “Sorry dad.”

“ _So that we may rebuild-_ ” The line cut off abruptly as Jeremy spun and launched a punch at his dad’s face, catching him on his cheek and making him stumble backwards. Jeremy danced out of reach of Mama and Ina’s grabs. Brooke wasn’t so lucky, not expecting them to shift their focus so quickly.

Brooke screamed when she was suddenly grabbed by Ina, struggling and kicking as she was grabbed around her waist. "Let! Me! GO!" She managed to twist around in Ina's grip, punching her square in the jaw. Jeremy winced at the sound it made, and so did Ina as she dropped Brooke. 

She wasn't taking any chances as she stumbled back and kicked Ina in the gut, knocking her back and into Mama. The two women tumbled back, falling on top of Jeremy's dad.

Jeremy's heart hurt but he couldn't stop to help them now. They weren't Mama and Ina anymore. Instead of helping, he grabbed Brooke and started back to the door. "No time for the car. Follow me."

Brooke nodded as she held onto Jeremy as well, running with him as the parents groaned, presumably trying to regain themselves.

"We can cut through the neighbor's yard and slip into the park from there,” he muttered, trying to figure out the best route they could take that he could run along without aggravating his legs so badly that he fell over.

"Alright, sounds good. Thank god there are no fences," Brooke huffed out as they started dashing outside, past his and Michael's houses.

They followed Jeremy's route and eventually got far enough away that Jeremy couldn't hear music from any direction. He darted into a patch of trees and collapsed, whimpering and sobbing from the pain that was both physical and emotional.

Brooke sat down beside him, that much Jeremy could tell, before he felt a hand hesitantly settle in his hair a few moments later. "Hey, it's... it's going to be alright. Maybe not right now, but soon," she murmured before her hand started moving through his hair.

"It's not, it's not," Jeremy whimpered through his tears, shaking his head. "I'm not ready. I'm so damned scared."

"Not ready? What are you talking about?"

"Why couldn't I move?" Jeremy whispered. "I'm infected, aren't I? I'm gonna turn and there's nothing I can do. I'm not ready for it, Brooke. I'm not ready to die."

Brooke's hand stilled in his hair for a few moments, and Jeremy was about to yank his head away. She kept running her fingers through his hair though, stopping him from doing that. "You're infected... but not fully. You would've started singing forever ago if you were. And you aren't going to die, Jeremy. There's no way everyone who has been fully infected has died."

"They might as well." They weren't themselves, they weren't in control. They may as well have been dead. "I'm scared, Brooke. I'm so scared. I don't want to become like them." Jeremy shivered. "And everything _hurts_."

"You... you've been getting hurt a lot," Brooke admitted before it sounded like she scooted closer. "I'm going to make sure you don't become like that, I promise you that. I just need you to work with me, yeah?"

Jeremy nodded, calming down a little. "I... Michael suspected I've been struck by this since school on Monday. I got called to Shimizu's office and he tried to get me, I think." He started picking at his sleeves-well, the sleeves of Michael's hoodie. They were already a little worn from Michael doing the same. "He thought it's why I was so mean to Chloe; they want me isolated and alone."

"That makes sense. You're already partially infected, so you're drawn to participate in the numbers but you're not actually forced to do them," Brooke offered. "It's also how you're, like, a musical number radar. You're, supposedly, the easiest to infect since you're already part of the way there."

"And Shimizu didn't like me. He probably wants me controlled so I'm not so much trouble," Jermy muttered, finally leaning into Brooke's touches slightly. "I would always find loopholes in his rules and stuff."

"Hey, you've sorta been doing that this whole time, haven't you?"

"I guess..."

"Yes, not 'I guess.'" Brooke let out a sigh. "You've been avoiding his control, causing trouble for him. You've been using what's supposed to hinder you to _help_ you. You've helped Chloe and Marshal and I as well as your uncle. You're causing _so_ much trouble with him."

Jeremy _had_ been doing all that. He had been doing his best to protect everyone, using what he had as a weapon of sorts. Maybe he _was_ being a thorn in Shimizu's side after all.

"That does sound about right..." Jeremy muttered after a moment of thinking it over. "But... I don't know how to beat this thing, and the infection's getting worse. It won't be too long before I'm-" He shuddered. "Singing."

“I mean, it’s a computer. Computers can’t work if, like, the... uh...” Brooke was obviously trying to think on it but technology was clearly _not_ her strong suit. “Uh... Oh! A phone can’t connect to LTE if whatever satellite giving it LTE is down, right? It could be the same thing with these things, right?”

"Yeah..." Jeremy thought for a moment. That made sense. If they _were_ some sort of hive of nanobots, they would need an origin point for their instructions. The center of the hive mind. "Which means if we take down the center of these, they might just go with it!"

“Exactly.” Brooke sighed in a heavy manner. “If it’s Shimizu who is running this, it’s probably... No, not his house. Maybe at school since it’s practically in the center of town?”

"That makes sense too." Jeremy nodded. "We need to get there and shut it down, then we have a chance of getting everybody back!" There _was_ hope after all! Jeremy could get everyone he loved back. "We need to grab Chloe, Marshal, and Uncle Reyes. Together we stand a chance before we all get stuck in a fucking musical for the rest of eternity." Ugh.

“I mean yeah, I wouldn’t wanna be singing and dancing for the rest of my life. I don’t know what I wanna do for the rest of my life, but it’s not musical theatre.”

"I never want to touch musical theatre again." Jeremy shivered, pulling himself up to a sitting position, wincing as he aggravated the bruised rib he got from Rich and Jake's attack earlier. "I hate musicals with a passion."

“Have you done it before? It seems like your hatred is deep-seated, even before this whole thing.”

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah. Summer camp in middle school." He shuddered at the memory. Even if it was technically a secret, he trusted Brooke. He felt certain she'd be understanding at the very least, if not supportive like Michael was. "I had just started my transition, so I was trying to pitch my voice a bit deeper. And we all had to take part in the musical early on... My voice cracked during my solo and I spent the rest of camp being really badly teased for it. Hence, no musicals and no singing. It triggers my anxiety and I get all panicky."

“Can I go after whoever did that to you please? That’s so not cool,” Brooke said, voice serious and sure. “I’m sorry you went through that, Jerry.”

Jeremy chuckled weakly and reached out in Brooke's direction. "You're sweet as a cookie, Brooke. A Brookie Cookie." Okay so his panic and fear was being converted into mild hysterics, so what? At least he was coping now, somewhat.

Brooke let out a laugh as Jeremy felt her grab his hand. “And you’re adorable, like a teddy bear... Jere-bear.”

"We're still gonna be friends after this, right?" he asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up if Brooke (and Chloe, honestly) would just go back to ignoring him after everyone was back to normal.

“We’ve bonded through an emotionally scarring event. I will still be your friend after this and everyone better respect you. Also Michael. He seems really sweet,” Brooke promised.

"He's a sweetheart," Jeremy agreed. "Now c'mon. Let's get back. I gotta keep my promise to _your_ best friend so we can rescue _my_ best friend." He started struggling to his feet. "Damnit, I'm gonna need so many pain killers after this."

“Are there some in Michael’s backpack?” Brooke asked as she helped him up.

"Maybe, lemme look." He opened it up and started digging around. He found a small bottle of them at the bottom, specifically labeled 'For Jeremy: in case of cramps.’ He was so sweet. After downing a couple with some water, he felt a little more hopeful for his athletic ability in the long run.

"Wow, he's, like, the prepared mom friend," Brooke hummed as she put the bottle back into Michael's backpack along with the bottle of water.

"He always looks out for me. Always has." Jeremy nodded. "Anyways, ready to head back? I should be back to walking normally in about twenty minutes, so we'd be about halfway to your house by then."

"Yeah, I am." Brooke held out her hand to Jeremy with a hopeful smile. Jeremy took it with a trying smile.

  
  
  


Reyes couldn't help but pace as he waited for Jeremy (and that Lohst girl) to return. Of course Jeremy had been stupid enough to go after his father, he was _just_ like him. As much as Reyes loved his brother, he was an absolute idiot if someone he cared about was in danger.

That was why he had hearing problems now.

Reyes kept pacing, worry building, so much so that he didn't hear the sound of shuffling feet behind him until a small hand grabbed his own. A little boy, no more than about four, was looking up at him with big scared eyes. How had he made it into the high walls of the backyard Reyes was in?

"Are the singing people here, mister?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Reyes felt his heart racing. How had this child made it in here? Why was he here? _How_ was he here? But he couldn't just go and do anything to this child. "I- No, there aren't."

The boy relaxed and smiled up at Reyes. "There will be soon." A puff of grey smoke(?) spurted out of the child's mouth and hit Reyes right in the face.

As it hit him, Reyes couldn't help but cough as he let go of the child and regretted his moment of weakness. Of course the child was a trap. Children were _perfect_ for traps-

But this wasn't a trap. It just opened his eyes to unifying people. This wasn't an apocalypse. It was bringing world peace to everyone and making it a reality.

Soon the world would be unified through song, and it was Reyes' turn to take the spotlight. What a show stopping number he'd put on, he just needed to get his actors all ready. With that in mind, Reyes smiled down at the child, turned back to the house, and got ready. It was showtime soon.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! There isn’t much to actually say here except this: a bit of horrible fun, some comedy blended with angst, for your entertainment before the angst gets turned up to eleven. Poor Marshal and Chloe. They never stood a chance. Enjoy
> 
> And now a word from my favorite person and the best writing partner out there!
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Oh, if any of you know TGWDLM, you have an idea of what's coming next. 😉 Enjoy it.

Marshal wasn't quite sure how he arrived to where he was. He knew Reyes had asked for his opinion on something in the master bedroom, which had been set up as the temporary lab thanks to the space. He knew that Reyes had injected something into him. But he wasn't sure how he ended up cuffed to a chair next to a still unconscious Chloe while Reyes fiddled with a piano.

"Ah, my male lead is finally awake. Good, I was worried that my dosage was too strong," Reyes mused as he turned the keyboard to play the right sounds.

"Reyes? What..." Marshal blinked a few times as he tried to get a bearing on his, well, everything. "What's going on? Why are we stuck to these chairs?"

Chloe sort of jolted upright in her chair after Marshal asked his questions, groaning as she did so. "Why are we in Brooke's basement- Why am I cuffed?" She tried to wriggle and free herself, but it was clearly to no avail as she stopped with an angry huff.

"You two are my  _ star _ performers. You see, during my time as a shut-in, I actually started writing my own musical based on the movie ‘The Titanic.’ You two are going to help me see my dreams become a reality." He sounded happily starstruck, and he nodded when the keyboard let out a sound that Marshal didn't exactly recognize.

"Oh  _ god _ no," Chloe stated, clearly exasperated. 

"Reyes, you can't do this. That could attract more of them, playing music and singing-"

"And there is _ no _ way we are going to sing for you," Chloe finished with an almost growl.

"Oh, you will," he singsonged. "You see, I finally understand. This whole thing, it isn't going to destroy humanity; it's going to save us. Which is why you will sing, and you will get to see just what this design is capable of!" He sat down at the keyboard, ready to play.

"[Reyes, please don't!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCUvOAjhN8)" Marshal begged as Chloe basically kept yelling 'no' at the eldest in the room.

" _ It's. A. Show stoppin' number, a real show stopper. A show stoppin' number, come on. Something to shock 'em, to bring them a-crawling. A big-time box-office draw. _ " Reyes was getting really into this, leaning and rolling with the music a little, and there was something... off, in his voice. He sounded a little too perfect, too on key. Was he...? No way, how could he be infected? They had all been in the house since Jeremy left on his rescue mission! " _ With the press and the glamour, we'll kill the reviews. Spotlight on Mr. Ingenue. So fill up your Tumblr, got a show stoppin' number for you. _ "

Maybe he had gone outside once or something. He hadn't been with Reyes the entire time, so there was no way to know. The only thing that was certain was that he and Chloe needed to  _ go _ . "Reyes, please! If they find us, they'll convert us!"

"Yeah, so shut up!" Chloe almost screeched as she was struggling and wiggling again.

Reyes didn't seem to care. Instead, he stood up from the piano and began dancing towards them. The music didn't stop, which meant that Reyes was infected. Shit.

" _ A show stoppin' number is something you die for, a real catchy earworm-y tune. An award-winning score that seeps in and out of your pores. A ditty to make the chorus girls swo-on _ ." He pulled off his jacket dramatically and tossed it to the side before pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. 

" _ It'll unify humanity in a thundering chorus! No exits from this Broadway venue. So crash those shiny cymbals, got a show stoppin' hymnal for you. _ " He ducked behind them and Marshal felt him fiddling with their cuffs.

"This song's pretty good, huh? I bet you didn't know I was also a composer. In fact, while I've been preparing for the apocalypse I've also been writing this while Titanic musical. It would have gone all the way to Broadway... Do you mind if I give you the pitch?" He was grinning madly at this point.

He had to lull Reyes into a false sense of security. Then, he and Chloe could escape. "I mean,  _ now _ isn't really the ti-"

"After you've kidnapped us and cuffed us to chairs? Hell no!" Yeah, Chloe wasn't always the 'calm' type in these situations. She was  _ not _ helping right now.

Marshal felt his cuffs click open then heard Chloe's do the same. "Too bad, you two are my star performers!" Marshal felt himself start to stand without any conscious input from his brain.

His guts started to churn. Fuck, what happened to them when they were unconscious? What did Reyes do?! "What did you do to us after knocking us out?" Marshal couldn't help but ask as panic started to build up in his chest.

Reyes ignored their protests once again. "I got you ready. Now, I must set the scene for your first run-through, Rose and Jack. I'm thinking we go through the iconic moment with you two on the bow of the ship. You're the Queen of the World, Rose." Both Marshal and Chloe stepped away from the chairs. Chloe put her arms out and Marshal held her gently by the waist, leaning close to her.

"You know, Marshal, I think you're alright, but I  _ really _ don't want you holding me like this," Chloe hissed.

Marshal hissed back, "It's not like it's  _ my _ choice. I'm taken  _ and _ gay, remember?"

"Now, I'll start you off Rose." Reyes pushed his voice into a falsetto as he started to sing again. " _ Ocean waves, I really hope I don't slip! This is a dream boat! He's just a painter and I'm gonna kiss on his lips! I'm in love with him. All I wanna do is just kiss him, hug him, hold him, love him, sleep with him and marry. _ "

Chloe fake-gagged at that, and Marshal could hear her scowl. "That is  _ way _ too much, oh my god. Hell. No."

"Look, Reyes, we don't want any part in this-" 

Marshal cut himself off with a heavy coughing fit, feeling his brain ache and his muscles tighten before he felt himself lose control of his voice. " _ My Rose, I love you. I wish you could just follow your heart and marry who you wanted. I wish we didn't have to be apart. _ " How did he know the words?! He figured that Reyes had to have gotten them, but it didn't mean he was OK with this! Marshal could still think for himself and he did not agree with this.

"Oh shit, Marsha-" Chloe's voice cut out as she started coughing too. Unlike Marshal, who could still feel the worry etched into his expression, Chloe was grinning brightly, just like the other infected.

" _ But Jack, my love, we don’t have to be, because soon, we’ll be in New York. And when we’re there, when the path forks, you can come with me. _ " She had a surprisingly good voice, but that could have been because of the bots. Marshal couldn't be sure, he didn't know enough about them yet to make a judgement yet.

Marshal knew he'd be frowning if he could. " _ I can go with you? Then I shall! Our lives in New York, our lives in New York, our lives in New York! I can't wait to start our lives anew. _ " Hopefully, Jeremy and Brooke were safe wherever they were right now.

" _ A show stoppin' number, a real show stopper, an aria to rule them all! _ " Marshal and Chloe joined Reyes for this part. As much as Marshal wanted to stop, he couldn't. In fact, he felt his body piloted away from the group a little, doing some stupid choreography as he sang along.

" _ They'll throw us their money at full price admission. The world will come tumblin' down. _ " Oh god, Marshal didn't even  _ know _ he could roll his hips like that. (He'd have to show Dustin if he ever managed to replicate it). 

Everyone joined back in for the next lines. " _ Hamilton, move over, your new competition's in town. _ "

" _ We’ll start all over, Jack, and find a new place together, _ " Chloe sung as she rested her hands against Marshal's cheeks. Marshal felt nauseous as she sung and he rested his hands against her hips. 

He rested his forehead against hers as he sung back, " _ I can go with you? _ "

" _ You can come with me! _ "

" _ Then I shall! _ "

" _ We'll live happily! _ " Chloe exclaimed, a breathless and ecstatic smile resting on her lips.

The three of them started the same choreography as earlier, complete with the ballet-esque jumps. " _ Our lives in New York! Our lives in New York! Our lives in New York! I can wait to start our lives anew. _ "

" _ And we’ll debut on Broadway, get a Tony or two, _ " Reyes added softly, clearly enjoying the idea.

The song was closing soon, and Marshal could feel his head starting to shift. Maybe this  _ wasn't  _ such a bad thing after all?

Chloe and him reunited, her arms wrapping around his neck and his around her waist. There was an exhilarating feeling rushing through him, and he couldn't help but feel himself smile as it enveloped him. He felt great. Why wasn't he enjoying this before? There was nothing better than this.

" _ When I’m in New York with you! _ " Marshal belted with Chloe, going in for the joyus scene-ending kiss.

  
  
  


Everyone collapsed before the kiss happened. Jeremy watched on with muted shock. They were all gone too. What had happened in the last few hours? He felt like he might be sick.

Brooke let out a pained whimper from behind him. Glancing back, he saw tears in the corners of Brooke's eyes. She quickly swiped her eyes when she noticed Jeremy's gaze. "Let- let's get going. They're out, so they won't notice us," she whispered before starting to climb back up her stairs.

Jeremy nodded, but he paused at the top of the stairs, locking the basement door from the outside. It should keep them contained, at least until the next number passed by.

Before anything else, Jeremy grabbed Brooke and held her tightly. She would need the support right then. "I know how hard this is for you, Brookie. I gotcha,” he murmured, stroking her hair gently.

There was some hesitation before Brooke clung to him and started sobbing, her body shaking all the while. "I-I couldn't... couldn't do anything t'help her, Jere-bear."

"I know, I know. It's okay, Brookie. It's hard, but we're gonna get them back, remember? We're getting her back to you," he promised softly. Jeremy had kept his promise to Chloe about keeping Brooke safe, and now he had another promise to fulfil. He had to get everyone back. No take-backsies.

Brooke sniffled as she nodded, nuzzling her head against Jeremy. "Y-yeah, we're getting them back," she whispered before hiccuping and clinging on tighter to Jeremy.

"Doesn't make this easier, huh?" Jeremy had lost everyone he loved. Brooke just lost her best friend. They now understood each other in a way no one else really would. "But it's gonna be fine. You said so yourself." Jeremy pressed a kiss to her temple.

She hummed wetly before pulling back and scrubbing her face with her new cardigan. "You're right," she muttered softly. "We should try grabbing some food before we go. My mom's car is still in t'garage, so I can take that and drive us for a bit."

"Sounds like a plan." Jeremy nodded. "To the school after food? We're gonna kill the source!"

"Yeah, we are. If only we could put a stop to Middleborough High as a whole too," Brooke joked, barely laughing, though it was something.

Jeremy chuckled, squeezing Brooke softly. "Yeah, well. Next big adventure, yeah?" he offered.

“Yeah. Next- next big adventure,” Brooke agreed with a sniffle and a hiccup.

Jeremy’s heart was hurting, and he knew Brooke’s was too. He just hoped they’d both hold out until everyone was safe. “Let’s grab some food then drive. We can have a proper cuddle in the car once we’re away from here.”

  
  
  


He had been so close to nabbing Jeremy. Now there was only him and that Lohst girl left. No matter. They’d come and be snatched up too. Shimizu just needed to check on the people who would be snatching them.

Mell was currently working with some students in the cafeteria, pushing tables together to make a mock stage. When Shimizu walked over, Mell turned around with a dazzling smile and bowed. “Sir!”

“Michael,” Shimizu smiled. “How is everything going? Is everything almost ready for Jeremy?”

“Yes it is! I have my first solo song all ready. If it doesn’t work, I managed to get a second one ready that’ll definitely get him with Christine and Chloe as my back-ups,” Mell told him from where he was still bowed. “I think that you’ll even like these songs, sir.”

“Since you’ve put so much effort in, I’m sure I will.” Shimizu nodded. He liked it when people were infected; they were happy and obedient and they always put in so much hard work. He even liked Mell at this point, something he didn’t believe possible. He gave the boy an affectionate hair ruffle and a smile. “Keep up the good work.”

Mell beamed brighter from where he was bowed before standing up. “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best to make you proud!”

If Mell was right about Jeremy coming for him, Shimizu would be  _ very _ proud. 

Jeremy was a liability. He was too good at foiling Shimizu’s plans or avoiding his rules and regulations. And thus far, he’d been resisting his infection and avoiding anything that would put him fully under, proving that he was even more of a danger than Shimizu thought. He needed to be captured and Mell would be the key. 

“You get Jeremy to join us, make him happy and help him find his voice, you two can be together. I promise, Michael, if he joins us, he’ll want to be with you.” If Jeremy didn’t want to already, well, Shimizu could program something up. Mell’s hard work needed to be rewarded, after all.

Mell’s eyes widened at that. “He... he would want that, sir?” Of course he knew how Mell felt about Jeremy since he looked through all the information he could in his brain on his computer. If he was key to getting Jeremy, he needed to know everything that he could from Mell. Not like he would argue or disagree with Shimizu doing that.

“He would.” Shimizu nodded. “His biggest issue is that he’s anxious. If he wasn’t anxious, I’m certain he would want to be with you.” Time to seal this deal for sure. “Tell me, has  _ your _ anxiety been an issue since you joined us?” Mell shook his head. “So you can understand  _ why _ it’s important for Jeremy to join us, even if he’s scared about singing again.”

Mell’s eyes softened before he nodded with a seemingly new-found determination. “Yes, I definitely see it now, sir. Thank you for helping me fully understand why.”

“Very good, Michael.” Shimizu ruffled Mell’s hair again before glancing over his shoulder. “Oh, your parents are here. And Jeremy’s dad too. They can help you set up.” He took a step back.

With that suggestion, Mell beamed again before bowing once more. “Again, thank you sir. I promise that I won’t let you down.” He got up then and turned around to join his moms and Jeremy’s dad, already talking with them about his numbers.

Shimizu headed back to the auditorium where the tank was being housed, along with the central control unit. He needed to check on the multiplication of his SQUIP bots as well as ensure all the programming was in place for the next release. Soon enough, everyone would finally understand how the world was supposed to be. And Shimizu would be leading the song at last.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between! Step right up to see this Spectacular Perforce, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! And it showcases one of our first original songs(so no link for that one)! Let Ari and I be your guide into a world of devastation and pain! Enjoy the show!
> 
> And now a word from my co-host  
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Come one, come all, for today’s performance! It will be one to blow you out of the water, I’m sure. Be sure to maybe have a tissue ready (if it’ll be for you or Jeremy, only time will tell). Enjoy!

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he looked up at the school. He didn't think that he'd be back here so soon, especially considering everything that had happened. Still, it was their one chance to save everyone.

He could feel the infection growing in the back of his head, and on several occasions he had to stop himself from swaying or humming on their drive over. He wouldn't last much longer. He was going to turn soon if he didn't find a cure.

"Hey, Brookie?" he asked softly. "Can you promise me something before we go in?"

Brooke glanced over as she put the car into park. “Depends on what you’re asking me to promise.”

"I..." How could he tell her? He had to though, she deserved to know. "I'm not sure how much longer I'm gonna last. I want you to promise me that no matter what happens to me, you find a way to fix everything. Find the solution that's gonna save everyone." He shot her a weak smile. "Be the hero you deserve to be."

Brooke seemed to think that over as her hand hovered over the keys still in the ignition. “I promise you that I’ll go with what I know will save everyone,” she assured Jeremy before taking the keys out.

Jeremy relaxed somewhat. "Thanks. I just... I don't know what Shimizu will do to me since he  _ really _ hates me." He chuckled weakly. "He might rewrite me entirely, if that's possible. And it might stick. I just want to know things will be okay even if he does manage to do something to me."

“I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that’ll never happen. You don’t deserve to be forced to live in a musical.” With that, Brooke opened the car and got out.

Jeremy climbed out, stumbling as two things happened at once. First, his body tried to strike a pose, and second, his legs nearly gave out under him. God, everything still hurt and he couldn't take any more pills without risking hurting himself  _ more _ from an overdose.

Brooke came over to his side then, wrapping an arm around his waist before adjusting Jeremy so he had an arm going over her shoulders. “I got you, Jere-bear.”

"Thanks Brookie." Jeremy shot her a weary smile. She was a great friend to have, so sweet and generous. Jeremy was lucky it was her that he had ended up with during the musi-pocolypse. "I think I should be alright to walk myself again in a minute. Turns out dancing and intense pain aren't a good combo." If he could still make jokes about it, it wouldn't be as bad. He had to stay positive. He could practically hear Michael reminding him to watch his negativity, as he so often did.

“I wouldn’t think so. I’d offer you more drugs but it would be too soon to be safe,” Brooke said before squeezing him carefully. “I still want to at least keep something like this up though, to help conserve your energy or something like that.”

"Whatever you're comfortable with, hun." Jeremy half shrugged as they started the slower walk to the front doors. "I'll manage myself if not."

“I’ll do this with you for as long as I can.”

God, she was an absolute star, a real life angel with the burning sword included. Jeremy had now learned that little Brookie Cookie wasn't to be messed with if you valued your health.

Together, they entered the school. There was no one else in the halls, but Jeremy could feel there was a number ready to start up at any moment. "I can't tell where the controls are," Jeremy murmured, "But there is a number over... there." He pointed towards a hall to their left, which lead to the cafetorium.

“Well, we should avoid that then,” Brooke said before the PA system crackled to life. 

“The Spectacular Performance will be starting soon,” Rich announced. “This once-in-a-lifetime performance will star the one and only Michael Mell with back-ups by Christine Canigula and Chloe Valentine. Hurry up, as this performance is one to die for, folks!”

Jeremy's eyes were wide. It was a trap, set perfectly for him, and he felt the undeniable pull to go. It was so intense that he wasn't sure if he could have resisted even if he wanted to.

"Brooke, I need to go to that,” he muttered. "You go on, you'll be safe, but I... I  _ need _ to go. And I can't keep my promise if you're with me." He wasn't sure how to explain it.

“First off, I am not leaving you. Splitting up is stupid. Second, what promise? I didn’t ask about it before because you were hurt, but you keep bringing it up,” Brooke stubbornly stated as she kept her arm around Jeremy’s waist.

Jeremy sighed and ducked his head a little. “I promised Chloe I’d look after her best friend, since I couldn’t look after my own. She... it helped her relax a bit, I think, and I intend on keeping it.”

“Well, you can’t look after me if I’m not with you,” Brooke said with a huff, though her body tensed then relaxed a bit with what Jeremy said. “I thought you were a smartie, Jerry.”

“Not when I’m being slowly taken over by musical zombie robots, apparently.” Jeremy’s heart warmed at Brooke’s resolve and loyalty. He shot her a grateful smile as they stated towards the number.

“You know, you owe me for having us walk into an obvious trap,” Brooke murmured as she walked down the hall with him.

“I owe you for a lot more than that,” he replied honestly.

“You got me a new cardigan and are gonna take me cardigan shopping after this,” Brooke pointed out.

“Still not enough to repay you, Brooke.” Jeremy chuckled. “You’re stuck with me now.”

“Oh, like that’s a bad thing,” Brooke scoffed with a smile before they turned at the end of the hall.

Dustin and Marshal were both at the door to the cafetorium. Apparently Marshal had managed to get out and here before Brooke and Jeremy... Actually, it wasn't so surprising. They spent a good twenty minutes parked somewhere out of sight for a good cuddle and a cry. They both needed it.

Jeremy wasn't worried about the two, and kept walking calmly toward them. Meanwhile, Brooke was antsy and clearly now wanting to bolt.

"Calm down, Brookie. They won't do anything to us,” Jeremy assured her softly.

“As far as you know,” Brooke murmured, though she kept walking with Jeremy regardless. Her grip around him tightened a little.

“You two are just in time for the show,” Dustin said with a big grin, one that Marshal echoed. 

“The best seats in the house are reserved just for you two,” Marshal added as he and Dustin held their hands against the door. 

The couple both spoke in sync as they said, “Please, let us usher you to your seats so you can enjoy the show. It’s about to begin.”

Jeremy nodded and headed inside. "They're the ushers. They'd wait for the main event to turn us. And we know this is a trap meant for both of us, but mainly for me, so be ready to run when shit goes down,” Jeremy whispered. He would have said more, but his whole left side suddenly spasmed and collapsed once more. Jeremy whined in pain. "Can't take much more of this."

Brooke whined softly as her grip on Jeremy tightened. “It’s gonna be alright, Jere-bear,” she told him, starting to walk again with him to where their seats were.

Tables had been pushed together to make a large stage, and there were two chairs placed close to the stage front. Dustin stood by them, gesturing to them with an eerie smile while Marshal stayed behind them. “Your prime seats await.”

It took a moment for Jeremy to sit, his whole body aching as the pain medication, which had been dulling everything, began wearing off more notably. He shot Brooke a weary smile and waved off her concerns though. Jeremy couldn't afford to distract her much more than he already was. He wasn't planning on escaping this.

Brooke still looked at him with worry before sitting down beside him. “Enjoy the show,” Dustin and Marshal said in tandem before leaving them be.

“Well, they’re fucking creepy,” Jeremy muttered, looking up at the ‘stage.’ Time to see how spectacular this performance actually was.

Before anything started, Brooke reached over and took Jeremy’s hand. “Jeremy, just... Whatever Michael says in his songs, don’t listen and believe it, alright? Don’t fall for whatever he’s trying to sell you.”

“I might not have a choice...”

“I’ll do my best to help you. No singing,” Brooke told him as she squeezed Jeremy’s hand.

“No singing,” Jeremy agreed. He knew that the moment he sang, he’d turn. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did.

Brooke nodded with him before the lights dimmed. Somehow, they were able to get a spotlight working in here, having it trail along the cafeteria floor until it hit the center of the table-made stage. A vaudeville-esque melody started to play, and Jeremy heard Michael beginning to hum along to it before he stepped up onto the ‘stage’ and into the spotlight.

Michael looked... Well, he looked really good. He was in a grey shirt with a red suit. The suit had coat tails along with darker red slacks and black dress shoes. And spats. And he had a cane with a little pixel heart topper. He looked classy but somehow still nerdy and Jeremy was certain his heart stopped.

As Jeremy took all of Michael in, Michael looked down at Jeremy and beamed. He even winked at him as he tapped his cane down in front of himself. The melody grew to be actual music instead of a tune that buzzed in the background and Michael started to sing. 

“ _ It’s the most spectacular show! The biggest of our lives, _ ” he sang, his smile dazzling as he gestured around the cafetorium with his cane. “ _ The crew is ready, the music is steady- _ ” Michael pointed to himself with one thumb as he tapped his cane back against his makeshift stage. “ _ -and this star is ready to go. _ ”

Michael did a little dance around his cane before continuing. “ _ Once I hid in fear of living. _ ” He flipped the cane up onto his shoulders and shrugged. “ _ Happy living under the bed. _ ” Wait, what? Michael never seemed to be scared, he was just anxious.

“ _ But now I’m here- _ ” He held out his arms proudly. “ _ -proud and queer! _ ” He should be proud, he was beautiful. “ _ For the show I will be giving! _ ” Jeremy couldn’t look away. He was mesmerized by how relaxed and confident Michael seemed. Jeremy never realized just how much tension Michael carried around with him before. Seeing him so comfortable was... amazing.

Chloe and Christine popped up on stage in their own mock versions of Michael's outfit. They wore grey shirts, maroon skirts, and black dress shoes with spats along with little barber-shop hats. They sat themselves on either end of it as they sung, presumably the chorus, with Michael. " _ It's time to get up and dance, time to give it your all. _ " 

It was only Brooke's hand clutching onto his arm that brought Jeremy out of a complete trance of watching the show. " _ Strike up the band. Sing out your heart. Take your bow and then you fall. _ "

There was a little dance number and Jeremy tore his eyes from the stage for a moment. “Brookie, I’m already losing it,” he muttered, eyes already drifting toward the stage again.

"You can't let yourself lose it," Brooke firmly reminded him as he squeezed his arm tight for a second. "If I'm not losing it for Christine and Chloe, you aren't losing it for Michael."

‘You’re not already infected,’ Jeremy thought as Michael started singing again. 

He was looking right at Jeremy, pleading with him with his eyes as he sang. “ _ One star is one too few, please stop and think of me. _ ” As if Jeremy could think of anything else. He didn’t  _ want _ to think of anything else. Why was Brooke holding him tightly? “ _ I need a partner, a fire starter, and the one I need is you! _ ” Michael pointed the cane right at Jeremy, and he felt his heart thump in excitement. Michael needed him?

Brooke's nails were digging into his skin. Why was she doing that?

" _ Without you the show is a bust."  _ Wait, what? _ "Alone we aren't enough. We need your voice, please make your choice. _ " Michael  _ really _ needed him? Everything would fail without him? No way. " _ Remy, you know you must! _ "

Chirstine and Chloe both took the stage in front of Michael, singing the ensemble part. More and more voices joined in for this part while Michael had a second to just lean on his cane and watch. " _ Remy, you know it. Remy, you know. Remy, you know it. Get up and dance. _ " He wanted to, but Brooke was holding him back. That and some unseen force, an intense fear (as well as pain), was stopping him.

Michael took the front stage, slowly dancing closer and closer as Jeremy's heart raced faster and faster. He sung the chorus again, Christine, Chloe, and the ensemble echoing around in the air backing him up before he knelt down right at the edge of the table stage. He held out his free hand to Jeremy, a smile on that lit up the whole room. "Well Remy? What do you say?"

He wanted to say yes. Anything to help Michael. Brooke cut him off before he could speak though. She also slapped away his hand that was reaching up to grab Michael's. "He's not going to sing. Remember, Jere-bear? No singing."

Why would she say that? Why would he-

Singing meant he lost. Singing meant he wouldn't be Jeremy anymore. He curled his hand close to his chest, shivering (which hurt, ow) from the sudden shift from joy to fear.

"No singing,” he agreed softly, needing to scrub at his eyes as tears started to form. God, this was hard.

There was a sadness in Michael’s eyes for a moment that shattered Jeremy’s heart. He didn’t want to make Michael sad, but he couldn’t sing! That sadness was replaced a second later with the joy and warmth and energy he had as he stood. “ _ I can see that this will be tricky, can see that you won’t come easy. _ ” Jeremy hated how the tinge of sorrow in Michael’s voice could do so much to him right now.

Jeremy always hated making Michael sad and now was no exception. To stop himself from just reaching up and grabbing Michael, he stuck his hand into his pocket, feeling his small composition notebook in there along with a pencil. God, this moment would make some good poetry. It was certainly emotionally tense enough.

Michael tapped his cane on the stage and a burst of bots suddenly shot out of it. Jeremy barely remembered to tighten his mask before they were buzzing around his face, unable to get inside. " _ Look out for bots, each group has a lot, and together they are sticky! _ "

The bots still buzzed briefly before some returned back to Michael’s cane, vanishing inside of it as Michael let out a curious hum. The rest hovered nearby, enough to properly infect anyone if they so much as loosened their mask a smidge. “ _ I’ll give you one more chance, Remy, one more open offer. _ ” He stayed right at the edge of the stage, as if taunting him. “ _ Take a deep breath, please accept death, and sing down from your belly! _ ”

When Jeremy didn't move (couldn't move due to the ache that was starting up everywhere again), Michael sighed and everyone launched back into the chorus, repeating it once more. Then, every pair of eyes turned on Jeremy, filling him with icy cold anxiety. " _ Bow Remy then you fall! _ "

The ending high of the song filled Jeremy, yet he kept his mask tight and refused. “Let’s just get out of here, Jere-bear,” Brooke insisted as she glanced over the stage and at their surroundings.

He wanted to, Jeremy thought he did anyways, but... he couldn't leave. He could barely move from his seat, both the pain and the bots (presumably) growing in strength inside him kept him rooted to the chair. He couldn't get up.

"I can't get up, Brookie." Jeremy glanced up at Michael before turning to Brooke fully. "I'm gonna give you a chance, you take it and run, you hear me?" he whispered.

“No, I am not leaving you,” Brooke insisted as she held on tight to Jeremy’s hand. “I won’t let you sacrifice yourself when you’re probably our best chance of making it out of this.”

"I'm basically gone at this point, Brookie." Jeremy sighed. "One more song and I'm through. Our best chance isn't me anymore, it's you-" His eyes widened as he cut his voice off abruptly. Shit, he was starting to rhyme.

“If I was our best chance, all these songs would be for me,” Brooke told him. “I’ve talked about this kind of shit with Chloe. People take out the biggest threat first and foremost-“

Suddenly, Michael was right in Jeremy's face. He had taken off his coat, leaving him in the red pants and grey shirt, and he was  _ right _ in front of Jeremy. How had he gotten so close without them noticing?

There was something sad in his eyes, something almost desperate, and Jeremy wanted to soothe him like always. He wanted to help Michael relax and be happy. 

[Michael cupped Jeremy's cheek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UqVy6G9_Ps), surprisingly not going for the mask yet. Jeremy couldn't help but lean into the touch.

" _ You’re not Jeremy anymore. You’re not the teen who came here before. _ " Jeremy found himself standing, allowing himself to be led forward a little and into a dance. Brooke made a sound of protest, but she was held back by Chloe and Christine, who were providing soft harmonies for Michael. " _ And I’m not Michael anymore. I’ve been reborn from this infectious spore. _ " Michael spun him gently, sending him a few steps away where he found himself frozen once more.

Michael’s gaze kept every fiber of Jeremy’s body stock still. It held a look of pain, agony, and betrayal. “ _ You let out of your sight for one second and look what happens, nightmare time! _ ” Chloe and Christine’s harmonies followed the harsh tone before going back to their soft background ones. 

Brooke struggled, looking like she wanted to speak, but Michael took her from the girls’ grasps. He spun and dipped her, and when Brooke was clearly taken by surprise, moved one of her hands to make a mock gun to hold against his forehead. “ _ It’s worse than you could imagine, not some kind of hate crime- _ ” He took her back up and spun her back to the girls before the remaining bots in the air sort of haloed around him. “ _ -but it’s just SQUIPs invading my mind. _ ”

The music shifted to something with more attitude as Michael spun and started striding around Jeremy, who could only watch on helplessly.

" _ No more friendship vacays together, ‘cause your closest friend is under the weather _ ." Michael was hurting and Jeremy had to help. " _ And if you really, truly cared for me- _ " How could Michael think he didn't care?!

" _ You'd see I'm not Mikey. _ "

Jeremy had to make him understand. "No, Mikey, we're here to save you-"

" _ I'm not that retro teen. _ "

"You can break through this, I know you can." Michael had to see how much this was hurting Jeremy, right? He had to know that Jeremy cared.

" _ No matter what you believe. _ " Michael was still in there, right?

“Jeremy, don’t fall for it!” Brooke shouted over the lull in singing, though Jeremy couldn’t see her past Michael, who was hurting. 

“ _ Michael has long since left the scene. _ ” The music started to take a somber tone as Michael stopped circling Jeremy. He stood there, looking down at Jeremy with tears in his eyes before bending down, curling up within himself. Oh god, he made Michael cry too.

“ _ It’s not my fault anymore. No more anxieties to fall for. _ ” Michael was that anxious? No, he couldn’t be... He always seemed so energetic and happy. “ _ It’s not my fault anymore. No more being worried and banging on your door. _ ”

Michael was anxious sometimes but this was sounding more and more like he was just as bad as Jeremy. Why had he never told Jeremy this? Why had he hidden this from him when Jeremy only wanted to help?

Chloe and Christine started singing some older lines while Michael continued on. " _ Did you know that I’m deeply in love with you? _ " Wait, he was? Michael let out an almost angry riff, that was rife with sadness. " _ And when you needed heartbreak, you gave me that too? _ " Jeremy broke his heart? Michael's voice was more powerful than Jeremy had ever believed, holding a loud and strong riff with confidence and pain. Jeremy was in pain too. He'd been hurting Michael this whole time. He should have said something, he should have been better. He whimpered as tears started running down his cheeks.

Michael’s singing snapped him out of his self-pity stupor. “ _ Did you know it was you I cried about? _ ” Of course he did that, he was terrible to Mikey. “ _ And Dustin helped me when I would scream and shout- _ ” Was that why they had gotten so close in the past year or two? “ _ -when you would yearn all over and about Christine. _ ”

Wait, what? "It was never her I wanted!" Jeremy tried to protest, but Michael cut him off.

" _ Well now I'm here to tell you that- _ " Chloe and Christine joined in as backup for the chorus. " _ I’m not Mikey, I’m not that retro teen. I’m fucking sevente-en! _ " He turned to glare at Jeremy. " _ At least I was before you left me. _ "

Jeremy wanted to collapse, but his frozen muscles wouldn't move. "God, Mikey, that's what you thought? I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, Mikey," he sobbed, shivering badly.

“Jeremy, that  _ isn’t  _ Michael. He’s literally been singing that this whole time,” Brooke told him, and Jeremy was barely able to look up and see her managing to pull herself free. “We both need to go, right now-“

“ _ Why does it hurt to love you? Why am I in pain? _ ” Jeremy’s eyes were glued to Michael as he held onto himself, tears falling down his face. “ _ Why does it hurt to love you? You’ll let me down again. If I suddenly was gone, would you even know I wasn’t here? _ ” Of course he would! “ _ Why does it hurt to love you? Why does it hurt to love? _ ”

Jeremy had to make this right. How did he make this right? The music picked back up for the chorus. " _ I’m not Mikey. Now maybe you’ll be here for me. Or do you let me flee? _ " What could Jeremy do to make this better, to help his best friend and show him how much he cared? " _ Now your best friend’s not Mikey no more. Not at all Mikey! _ "

The melancholy music from the start of the song returned and Michael looked at Jeremy sadly once more. " _ I’m not Michael Mell anymore... _ " There was one thing he could do.

Shaking hard, Jeremy started raising his hands to his face, ready to pull off his mask. If Michael needed to see how much Jeremy actually cared, Jeremy would prove it to him.

Brooke yelled at him, grabbing his hands and ripping them away from his face and mask. "Don't you  _ dare _ take off your mask, Jeremy Heere, so help me."

Jeremy struggled weakly but the pain was suddenly present again as Brooke squeezed his wrists, which snapped him back to reality. Had he really been about to-?

"Leave me and go!" Jeremy hissed after shaking his head clear. "I'm already too far gone. Save my ass already."

"You're the one they want because you're the one who can save everyone, not me!" Somehow, Brooke was able to budge him as she shoved him and pushed him. "Get the hell out of here and let me make my big hero moment now."

Jeremy stumbled backwards, landing on his ass but managing to climb to his feet. "You still have a chance!" he cried, watching helplessly as Chloe grabbed Brooke from behind. "I'm not leaving without  _ you _ -" He slapped his hand over his mouth. That was almost a note. Shit, damnit, he was almost out of time!

"I'm using my chance to give you time! I know I can't beat this, I'm not that strong of a person, Jeremy," Brooke told him through tears as she elbowed Chloe, even if she looked visibly pained to do so. "I know I'll see you soon, so don't waste this! Go!"

Christine stepped in front of Brooke and puffed out some bots into her face as she ripped away the mask. Brooke coughed.

Jeremy turned and ran as music started up behind him. 

He kept running and running until he finally found somewhere to hide. A janitor's closet was small and stinky, but it worked and Jeremy didn't have to muffle his groans of pain so much. 

Everything hurt.

His body hurt from the abuse he'd been put through and the sickness he was still recovering from. His chest hurt from breathing so hard and from losing  _ everyone _ . He was the only one left. Jeremy was alone. Even his brain hurt because he knew now that he couldn't speak again without singing. If he tried to do anything without music backing him up, he'd start belting out a tune anyways and the music would follow naturally. How was he supposed to figure out a way out of this one?!

How did Brooke think that she was their only chance? He could barely stand without every cell in his body screaming. She was at least capable and SQUIP-free. Well, she _ had _ been. But she somehow thought  _ Jeremy _ was the key to saving everyone. There was no fucking way. They were all doomed because he couldn't even  _ talk  _ or do  _ anything  _ without the chance of turning.

He curled up around Michael's backpack, flipping the hood of the hoodie up and crying. He heard sad music start playing, but it cut off when he flipped off the air above him. At least he had that. Still, he could feel the music in the back of his head, eager and ready to be let out, like an excitable dog ready for a walk. 

After however long Jeremy cried for, he became aware of a pain digging into his right side. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his composition notebook. 

Oh, well... may as well read some of his favorite poems he wrote before he metaphorically died. He loved the rhythm and the flow of poetry. He loved mixing in subtle rhymes, and during the few times he'd performed for Michael, he even would have mus-

Wait.

Songs had a rhythm and flow, so did poetry. Poetry to music was a thing, it was called rap. And Jeremy knew Shimizu hated rap. He needed to test this out.

Jeremy pushed himself up into a sitting position. He urged the music to play privately to him, which it surprisingly did. So he could  _ control _ that aspect.

"This is a rap, it is not a song. I will be dead if I am wrong. Words to music doesn't count as singing, so rap to the table is what I am bringing." It was working. "Shimizu's bias is stupid and weird, and it seems like the clouds have finally cleared. If I sang I know I would've turned out flat, so I'll do this for me and they can do that!"

He was still himself! Yes! 

Well, now he understood exactly what Brooke meant. Even if she didn't figure out exactly how to beat Shimizu and how Jeremy could have done it, she really was the hero here. She gave him this chance to figure this all out. Brooke believed in him and, somehow, she was right to.

Jeremy would be sure to tell everyone that when he figured out a way to free them all. He'd be gushing about Brooke forever. And she thought some cardigans would be enough to repay her. Not in a million years. She deserved so much more.

Okay, next thing to deal with. His random spasms. He knew they were caused by the need to dance. Maybe if he focused on the music, his body would just follow along naturally? It was the best he could do right then, he was in too much pain to be willing to test it out.

Before Jeremy got to work on the first couple of verses of the rap that would save humanity, or at least Middleborough, he needed one more thing. A weapon. What did he have that could free everyone?

Time to look in Michael's backpack. He had a lot of random stuff in there. Hopefully something in there would help the world.

OK, so he had a half-eaten bag of Funyuns clipped, the water bottle that was basically empty now, the cramp meds, some spiral notebooks and pencils, some Mountain Dew Red- Oh, he remembered drinking that last year. He had accidentally spilled it on his iPod Touch and ruined it. Thankfully, Michael gave Jeremy his Touch, saying how it wasn't 'old school' enough for him and that, if he had to use an iPod product, it would be his shuffle because it could clip onto his clothes.

Well Jeremy knew it messed with electronics so it was as good of a weapon as any. He slipped it into the zipper pocket of Michael's hoodie as he stood up. Okay, where to?

Shimizu's office was in the new auditorium building, connected to the actual auditorium. That's probably where he had the machine set up, right?

Probably, which was why the numbers had been in the cafetorium instead of the auditorium. He wouldn't want anyone near his stuff if they could possibly ruin his plans.

Well, that was just what Jeremy was going to do. He had one last shot and he was going to take it.

He was not throwing away his shot.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Sorry for the late post, I forgot I needed to in my excitement over watching the SpaceX launch. Sorry! Anyways, Jeremy now has a way to fight back and ready or not, it's all down to this last confrontation. Enjoy!
> 
> And here's a note from my favourite co-host :3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Today's a shorter chapter, but a lot happens in this short chapter. Also, yes, Jeeremy Heere is going to rap. That... Wow. Who would've thought?  
> Enjoy!

[Jeremy strode through the halls of school](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EauZhhiIGb0) with as much confidence and power as he could manage, his mask pulled tight around his face. He could hear it, the singing, feel it inside him as the numbers circled his position. Shimizu knew where he was, and he was letting Jeremy come.

" _ Did you hear the word? _ " That was Michael's voice.

" _ What’s the word? _ " Christine's.

" _ He’s a-coming? _ " Rich.

" _ Who’s a-coming? _ " Jake.

" _ Jere’s a-coming. _ " ...Brooke.

" _ Jere’s a-coming? _ " That was Chloe.

" _ The star of the show. _ " Everyone's voice joined in.

" _ Let him come. _ " Shimizu was confident. He must know how close Jeremy was when he ran, so he must also have believed that Jeremy was coming to die. Well not today, Jeremy was coming back to win.

" _ Word. _ " That was Jenna.

" _ What’s the word? _ " His dad.

" _ He’s a-coming? _ " Ina and Mama.

" _ Who’s a-coming? _ " Derek.

" _ Jere’s a-coming. _ " Dustin.

" _ Jere’s a-coming? _ " Marshal.

" _ The star of the show, _ " everyone sang, letting Michael end the little number with the last line.

" _ Let him come. _ "

Jeremy pushed open the double doors of the auditorium as the music faded out, half using them to support his weight. Even if he had plenty of reserved energy thanks to his breakthrough, physically he was fading fast. He had maybe twenty minutes before he passed out due to exhaustion and pain. He needed to be quick.

Everyone was in the auditorium, scattered throughout the rows of seats. Michael stood at the end of the main aisle, the one that led to the stage, waiting with Shimizu perched on the stage just to his left. He was somehow back in his normal clothes, and the cane had been discarded somewhere.

On the stage was a massive tank of grey smoke-looking stuff, the nanobots, and a single pillar of computing equipment. That had to be the control unit.

Okay, so throwing the bottle would be his best chance. Surprisingly, Jeremy's hand-eye coordination was actually decent, so he knew he could hit the target that small (the single screen) from maybe twenty-five feet, tops. Which meant he had to get there without Michael taking off his mask. The bigger issue, though, was this: could he get enough power behind the shot? The bottle was glass, so that should shatter if hit hard enough. Jeremy just had to throw damn hard.

"Jeremy, you're here," Michael cheered, his eyes lighting up after he took note of Jeremy. "I was so worried that you had left. I'm sorry if I came on strong, but I didn't know how else to convince you. I didn't scare you off, right?"

Jeremy shook his head. He couldn't start, not yet. With so many infected around, Jeremy had the feeling that he'd need an already existing song to be able to direct it himself. Which meant no talking.

Relief was evident in Michael's eyes as he took a step forward, closer to Jeremy. “That's good. I... I'm sorry I had to tell you that way, it probably wasn't the best way to tell you how I feel and all my stuff. I just... You weren't coming around and singing has been helping me to express myself." He gave Jeremy a smile, some of his nerves present. "I just want you to understand what's so good about this, even if I know you hate musicals. Everything's been amazing since I let the bots in."

Jeremy also stepped forward, staying silent and stoney faced still. Come on, they had to start soon.  _ Someone _ had to start singing.

Everyone's eyes just bore into him, waiting. It sent chills down his spine as Michael took another step forward. He seemed to be stumbling over his words now, trying to get Jeremy to speak or do  _ something _ .

Defeat almost crossed Michael’s gaze but he let out a sigh. "Maybe this'll help you." He gave a small smile to Jeremy before a familiar tune started up.

" _ Remy, I'm sorry, you lost. _ " There it went. " _ Remy, I'm sorry, you lost your way. _ " A reprise of Michael's first song, of course.

The others hummed the background melody that started, making goosebumps flare up on his arms. " _ What if I told you that I realized just what was wrong with you? _ " There was a lot, but it wasn't going to be whatever Michael said. "Y _ ou’ve been fighting all this time instead of listening and following through, with what everyone’s told you to do. That you just needed to join me. _ "

Jeremy stepped forward as Michael finished the next two lines. " _ Hey, trust me, and we can be together. It’s inevitable, Remy. _ "

Finally, Jeremy could do something. He held up his finger, waited, and the music literally screeched to a halt. There was a record scratch as Jeremy cocked his head and rolled his shoulders, smirking even if Michael couldn't see it behind the mask. As the music picked up, Jeremy took a moment to appreciate it. Same sort of tune, heavier beat and baseline. Perfect for what he needed.

"Ah, that’s much better, been feeling way under the weather

And your little song hasn't helped much.

You've been fighting yourselves, morals and ethics been shelved

And I'm here to come and free them as such." Here he was, white as fuck, and rapping his heart out. Everyone looked shocked, most of all Michael and Shimizu. They clearly hadn't expected Jeremy to have anything left in him.

"I've lost all my friends, yeah they all met their end

And my family is down the drain." Jeremy gestured around, looking over to his dad and Michael's moms with the family comment.

"You're out of your head, I'm just as close to dead

But I still have stuff left in my brain."

Jeremy cranked up the music, pumping it up a little with a small bounce and some hand waving. He let his body take over its own choreography for now, so long as he got closer to Michael and to the computer, he could move however the music wanted.

"You see this isn't a choice, but I'm using my own voice

I refuse to be a puppet for him

I've lost all my hope, still won't give up, nope

Because rap can still let me win!" he cheered, ending up with a sloppy spin before walking forward a little more to see what Michael (and Shimizu) had to say about it. This was all he had prepared directly, but Jeremy trusted the bots to do what they were programmed to do and let him come up with his 'lyrics' on the fly.

Michael was just staring with wide eyes, like he was buffering and trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. There was a slight smile lingering on his lips, though Jeremy wasn't sure if it was from earlier or if it had formed during the rap. It looked more like Michael than he had seen since he turned.

Shimizu, on the other hand, looked like he was going to have a blood vessel burst. "How did you- Combatting my art with such trash?! How  _ dare _ you, especially with  _ my  _ technology!" He snapped his fingers and Michael sort of twitched, the smile he had before replaced quickly with what Jeremy now realized was the faux smile Michael put on at school when he was having a tough day. It wasn't truly Michael. The lull of the bots and music had made it seem otherwise.

" _ You won’t be a puppet, you’ll still be yourself. You’ll be born again, anew. We’ll still be together if you join me, we’ll be stuck together like glue. _ " Michael sung along with the heavier tone, adjusting with ease as he held his arms out wide for Jeremy. The others switched their humming to match the music's change. " _ And I want you to be with me, Jeremy. I can’t go on without you in my life’s journey. Please, I’m begging you, just join me. _ "

Oh, Shimizu was playing with fire by forcing Michael back into the shell that remained of him. Okay then, chorus time and then Jeremy could see what else he could do. Time to test out his limits.

" _ I want you to sing. _ " Jeremy wove his raps with Michael's voice. 

"Join me, join me."

" _ I want you to dance. _ " They stepped closer to each other.

"Join me, join me." 

" _ I want you to join me. _ " They both wanted the same thing in the end.

"I want you to join me."

" _ Just give this a chance. _ " Michael wanted them to be happy together.

"Please Michael just-"

" _ We can be happy for the rest of our lives. _ " Jeremy wanted the same.

"Join me, join me, I want you to join me, join me."

" _ I want you to join me. _ " Shimizu wanted them captive.

"Join me, join me."

" _ Just watch how we thrive. _ " Jeremy wanted them free.

"Join me and be free."

Before Jeremy could step up, Michael seemed to be one move ahead of him as he sang. " _ Normally I’m stuck in my ways, but I’ve taken a chance. Learned properly how to sing and dance and I’m loving this new craze. _ " That was a bold-faced lie that Shimizu was trying to drill into Michael's brain. Did he actually believe it now with how much he had probably been messed with? " _ The only thing that’s missing is my Player Two. Jeremy, come with me, let it just be me and you, let us both be free. Please, come and join me. _ "

He was messed with, yes, but he was still there. Jeremy knew, deep down, that Michael thought of Jeremy as his favorite person. He admitted that many times to Jeremy over the course of their lives. Too many times for him to count.

Jeremy wasn't going to let Michael down, not here and not now.

Since he had been thrown off balance, Jeremy needed a chance to get some new lyrics together. He set off the chorus again, using the blend of Michael's beautiful voice and his own rap to give him some breathing room, using it as a chance to get closer. He was about halfway there now, just another little bit and he could toss the bottle.

As the chorus ended, Jeremy not only had his next verse but a rebuttal.

"Thanks but no thanks, refuse to join your ranks

The apocalypse just isn't my thing

I want to be free, with you as you and me as me

I'm not gonna fucking sing!"   
  


He wove around Brooke, who had approached from the side in an attempt to grab him. She was slow and clumsy (and it broke Jeremy's heart to do so), so he easily shoved her back down her aisle and into Christine, where they laid in a heap.

"Honestly I'm falling apart, off to a bad start

But I'm not gonna give up yet

You see I've got to step-in, ‘cause I got myself a weapon

Full of liquid, red, sweet, and wet."

Jeremy felt confident enough to pull out the bottle from the zipper pocket. He wasn't sure if it was real confidence or just the song, but he wasn't going to question it either way.

"This Mountain Dew Red, if it fails then I'm dead

But it's a risk I am willing to take

Cause I made you a deal, let’s be together for real

And see if I can change our fate." He promised Michael they'd always be a team. They weren't right then, so Jeremy was going to change that. He was getting his best friend back.

Genuine confusion crossed Michael's face as he settled his eyes on the bottle, as if he didn't even remember what the soda was. It hurt Jeremy's heart, but he barely managed to move out of the way of a lunge from Rich. He avoided another from Jake as he kept moving toward Michael.

Michael set off the chorus this time, his voice weakening as Jeremy's strengthened. More people tried to throw Jeremy off, grabbing at him and missing before being taken out by another person. It spoke with the panic Shimizu had in his eyes as he turned to his machine, typing some things into the keyboard as the chorus repeated again.

With the second repeat in a row, Michael's weak voice got unusual strength, an almost manic smile on his face as Jeremy got closer and closer. The sudden change almost got him grappled with his dad, but Ina and Mama's attempts to grab him ruined that. A glance back showed everyone to be a mess as Jeremy made it the rest of the way, finishing off the second round of the chorus.

He was close enough. Jeremy looked up at Michael, who was barely a few steps from him.

"It time for you to join me, join me,

It's time for you to join me and be free." With all his strength, Jeremy threw the bottle at the computer, and it whizzed past Shimizu and crashed into the screen.

Jeremy didn't have time to see if his plan worked because he was grabbed by Michael and his mask was ripped off. He didn't fight it, nor did he try to stop the puff of bots that were shot into his face. Instead, he just... let himself rest at last. 

He was so tired, everything hurt so much, and Michael made him feel safe again. Jeremy allowed himself to slump forward into Michael's waiting arms, giving up and letting Michael take care of him.

"There you are, Remy," Michael almost sighed as he pulled Jeremy close. Jeremy let himself be moved, finding himself relaxing as his brain went almost blank right then and there. He didn't feel tired anymore, and he didn't hurt either. He was just there with Michael. What had he been worried about?

"Finally, you're here with me."

"M'here," Jeremy agreed, his words slurring a little. He must have just been really relaxed. "M'-"

A small explosion occurred somewhere behind Michael. Jeremy heard the fizzing, then the crackle of electricity before a loud boom shook everything. Bits of plastic and glass landed on the ground just short of where they were standing. The sprinkler system started up from the smoke.

That's when the pain started. Jeremy went stiff in Michael's arms, standing ramrod straight as his eyes flickered shut.

Michael stiffened as well, even if he still held Jeremy close. There was a collective hum that Jeremy barely heard, but it made his head ache before it got louder. He didn't realize until Michael's screams entered the mix that it was everyone collectively screaming in a horrific harmony.

There was a chorus of thuds, and Jeremy felt himself fall forward. The impact Jeremy expected was lessened and he realized it was because Michael fell back while holding him, falling back first onto the ground before everyone went quiet beside the sprinkler system.

As Jeremy felt himself slip into unconsciousness, he had one last thought cross his mind: he was so lucky that Michael cared enough to catch him as they both fell.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! So! Last chapter actually marked the last of the songs from the musical. From here on out, all the songs are ones we've made up (If I'm remembering right).  
> How did you like Jeremy rapping? :3 It was super fun to write and it worked out pretty well I think. Also, this chapter is gonna hurt. The boys have been through far too much and it's not fair on them, but now they need to recover. It's not gonna be easy, especially with some of the roadblocks they're gonna hit along the way. Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my partner in crime :3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> So yeah. Jeremy Heere rapped. Wild, right? Well, we're heading into what happens next with recovery. It's gonna be hurty, but things are going to get better for them, I promise. After all, the big bad is defeated! Woo! Enjoy.

Michael's head was throbbing as he felt consciousness hit him. What happened? Why wasn't he in bed? Everything felt weird and different and not familiar. The bed was too weird and uncomfortable and the air was different too. There were also a lot of noises that made his head hurt.

He tried to open his eyes, but the blinding light made him shut them. That and the flaring pain in his head. Why was everything so much?

There was a gasp nearby and Michael heard someone clapping their hands in excitement. “He did a move! He’s gonna wake up soon that means... I hope...” Jeremy sounded excited, then worried and sad. “Mikey, you can take your time, but please be better soon. I’m worried,” he murmured. His voice sounded a little weird, sort of slurred but also not.

Michael tried his best to open his eyes, groaning as he covered his eyes with his hands to try to get used to the feeling of opening his eyes. The little bits of light he could see made it a bit better. "Jeremy?"

“You  _ are _ waking up!” Michael felt a hand, Jeremy’s hand, on his arm. “Yeah, it’s me. It's Jeremy.”

"What..." He slowly blinked as he tried to carefully pull his hands away, getting readjusted to the light. "What's happening? Where are we?"

“We’re in the hospital,” Jeremy said, rubbing his hand along Michael’s arm. “You’re the last person to wake up, and I got the doctors to let me sit with you. They said I could as long as I didn’t move too fast and I got up and did stuff every hour with some help.”

Wait, the hospital? Last person to wake up? Michael took in his surroundings to confirm that yes, it was the hospital that they were in. That explained all the overwhelming noises, but not the subtle ringing in his ears. "Why're we here?"

Jeremy made a small noise. Michael looked over to see that Jeremy looked concerned and more than a little out of it. He had one of those portable IV stands and a drip set up in his arm. And he was covered in bruises and had a large bandage on his cheek too. “You don’t remember the musi-pocolypse? That’s what I called it, and since it was just me left, everyone else started to as well.” Yeah, he was drugged up on something for sure. He rambled when he was high on something. “Y’don’t remember anything at all?”

Michael shook his head before stopping and hissing. Shaking his head hurt, that was a bad idea. "No, I don't. The last thing I remember..." What  _ was _ the last thing he remembered?... "The last thing I remember is going to bed after coming home from taking care of your sick ass."

“Oh, that was the day before the end of the world.” Jeremy hummed. Wait, what?! “Well, not the  _ actual _ end of the world, but it felt like it. I was really scared and you didn’t believe me until they were singing for you at the coffee shop. Then I got sick again and was mean to Chloe, and then Rich and Jake both beat me up at Uncle Reyes’ house and-“

"Jeremy, please, slow down. This... this is a lot and my head's killing me," Michael told him, feeling a bit dizzy with how much Jeremy was telling him. He also felt really nauseous now.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Jeremy ducked his head. “I’m... pro’ly not the best person to tell you everything... Dad said these things will make my head go funny and weird for other people.” Jeremy tugged on his IV line. “I kept taking them out, but the doctor told me not to, so he let me have the move-y one so I could come sit with you. My bed is over there.” He pointed to the only other bed in the room.

"Well 'm glad you're here with me," he managed to say before the nausea  _ really _ hit. "Um, is there a bucket or somethin' nearby that you could grab for me? Please."

Jeremy’s eyes went wide, and he bent down and held up a bucket for Michael to take, yelping a little in pain and hissing softly, but still holding it out for him to take.

Michael quickly took it, worried for Jeremy because he yelped in pain. What did he do-

Nope, he couldn't think about Jeremy now as he managed to sit up in time to get sick in the bucket. He felt so gross and disgusting and he wanted to cry but couldn't. Thankfully, it was over after two or so minutes, but he still felt awful. The ringing was louder in his ears now.

Jeremy offered Michael a bottle of water with the cap already partly off. “Y’want me to take that? S’mostly gonna be SQUIPs. Most people are sick after waking up, which is why I already knew where the bucket was.”

Wait, did Jeremy say 'squids?' "N-no, I can put it down," Michael assured him, barely managing to put it down before huffing and taking the bottle. "Thanks." He went to drink the water but found the taste too metallic, overwhelmingly so. Michael managed to lean over the side of the bed and grabbed the bucket so he could spit out the water in there. "Fuck..."

“Yeah, they’re icky.” Jeremy nodded understandingly, rubbing Michael’s back. “And it looks like you had more than anyone else... Most people only had a few. Maybe  _ that’s _ why you can’t remember. They took the memories!” he mused to himself.

"I..." Michael didn't know how to respond. His head hurt and his ears were ringing and he was just so tired. "I don't know." He sighed as he managed to lie back in bed, rubbing harshly at his eyes all the while.

“Mikey?” Jeremy asked softly before sighing. There was the sound of him standing up. “I’m gonna get a doctor for you.” There was a shuffle, as well as the sound of squeaky wheels as Jeremy’s IV stand started moving, but then Jeremy yelped again and it sounded like he fell over. He gasped and whimpered, and it didn’t sound like he moved much again.

That got Michael's attention. He quickly sat up, even if it sent his head spinning, as he looked and moved in his bed to see where Jeremy was. "Remy?"

Jeremy was on the floor near where he had been sitting, curled up with his arms wrapped around his chest. When Michael spoke, however, Jeremy’s pained breathing stuttered and shifted to panicked. His eyes went wide and he started muttering to himself between his whines and whimpers.

Michael got right out of bed then, thinking for a second as he got up. There was always some panic button, right? He quickly pressed that before getting properly out of bed (god, his head spun and he felt sick again) and kneeling down beside Jeremy. "Remy, hey, I'm gonna try to help you up, OK?"

Jeremy flinched when Michael spoke again and his muttering got a little louder. “It’s fine. He’s back. I can still speak.” He said it over and over again, like he was trying to calm himself. Was he... Did Michael set him panicking somehow?

What was he saying- wait, was it 'Remy' that was making him panic? He hadn't called him 'Remy' until then, so maybe... "Jeremy, I'm right here. You fell, and I'm gonna help you up, OK?" As he said that, he heard the sound of footsteps hurrying. Hopefully the nurses could help him. Maybe Mama could help out too.

Hearing his proper name got him to relax somewhat, his muttering stopped at least even if his harsh breathing didn’t. Michael had just tugged Jeremy into a sitting position, moving him carefully and gently when Jeremy didn’t panic at his touch, when the door burst open. Mama came in, along with two other nurses. She assessed the situation before nodding.

“Marie, help him up and into his bed. Carla, make sure you restrain his hands until Marie has let go,” she ordered. “Michael, baby? Can you get back into bed so we can help him?”

She was in nurse mode right now. Good, Jeremy needed that. "Yeah, yeah." Michael let go of Jeremy's hands, letting him lean back against the foot of his hospital bed, as he slowly and carefully stood up and back before getting into bed. God, getting back into bed was worse than getting out of it.

Mama shot him a sympathetic look before checking on Jeremy. Even though he was being picked up by the two nurses, who were clearly just helping him, he was thrashing and screaming as though in a panic. They moved him into his bed, counted down, then let go of him all at once. As soon as he was released, Jeremy’s screams stopped and died down to whimpers.

“Okay, good work ladies. I’ll stay here and check him over once he’s calm again, you two go continue your rounds.” Marie and Carla nodded before heading out, both pausing at the door to shoot Jeremy an almost pitying look and Michael a small smile before leaving. 

Mama sat on Michael’s bed. “Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” she asked softly.

He did his best to try to get all of the key or buzz words for how he was feeling. "Um... Dizzy, nauseous, I have a headache and hear a lot of ringing. I also got sick and I'm super confused. The last thing I remember was going to bed after caring for Jeremy and then I woke up here? He tried explaining what happened but it's a lot and I just-" Michael had to catch his breath, Mama taking his hand and squeezing in a way that helped him remember to do that. "Yeah..."

“I understand, baby.” Mama nodded. “Jeremy told me everything that he had been through when I was patching up his injuries, and I have an idea of what went on from my own perspective. You want me to tell you?” She held out a bottle of flavored water. “This stuff is better than normal water, it covers the metallic taste. Drink. It’ll help with everything except the ringing in your ears.”

"You know what happened?" Michael took the bottle, taking it and drinking it. Mm, no metal flavor. "I... He's calling it a musi-pocalypse? What does that even mean?"

“That’s what everyone is calling it, thanks to him.” Mama nodded. “The drama teacher at school released a bunch of nanobots called SQUIPs at the school play on Sunday. They infected people to sing and dance like they were in a musical, with the bots even producing music as needed.” That sounded crazy. “He got everyone in town, except Jeremy. Us included. We... well, everyone had a different experience. Mine wasn’t so bad on the whole, but Shimizu-“ Jeremy whined loudly from his bed then. Mama flinched apologetically. “He messed with your head a lot. He had to in order to get you to listen to him and not Jeremy.”

That all sounded insane. There was no way it happened... But everyone else seemed to accept it. Maybe he didn’t remember because his head got so messed with, like what Jeremy said. “I... That’s a lot. I’m gonna need time to process this.”

“I did too after waking up, and I already remembered everything.”

“How long ago did you wake up, and how come you’re working if you went through this?”

“I woke up six hours ago, and I’m working because we need trained medical staff right now.” Mama sighed heavily. “I’m working because the whole town got hit, so we need lots of med staff, as many as we can get.”

“Aren’t there a lot of people who work here that don’t live in Middleborough?” Michael asked as he looked up at Mama.

"The government wants to keep this as contained as possible for now." Mama sighed. "Besides, those people all have their own town and people to look after. Once the damage is more contained, they’ll be going back. I'm alright, hun,” she promised. "Knowing you're awake is helping so much." It was then Michael spotted the bruise on her jaw. It was hard to make out without his glasses, but he was certain he could see a dark bruise there.

Michael reached up, gently brushing his fingers against her bruise for a moment before pulling back. “What happened to get you that, Mama?”

“Oh.” Mama sounded like she had forgotten about it, but then she chuckled a little weakly. “Brooke got me good, huh? Ina ended up with a mild concussion, and Jeremy gave his dad a black eye during that whole thing. Never expected either of them to be so strong,” she mused. “I’m so proud of them both, it must have been so hard for them. Jeremy especially, all things considered.”

Wait, what? Brooke? Brooke Lohst? “That... that’s a lot to take in too,” Michael admitted with a shaky sigh as he pulled his hand back. “This is all a lot.”

“Oh, of course, you don’t know right now...” Mama sounded a little sheepish. “It was just Brooke and Jeremy left for a while. The whole town was infected except them. They’ve gotten really close from what I can tell. They’re like siblings at this point from how clingy they are when they’re together.”

Before Michael had a chance to process that, Jeremy groaned and spoke up. “Mama? My chest hurts again. ‘Nd my legs...”

Michael looked over to Jeremy then before looking back at Mama. “He needs you more than I do right now. I’m sure I’ll remember with time,” he said with a weary smile.

Mama nodded and headed over to Jeremy. “Hey, hun. I’m here,” she murmured, slowly reaching toward him. “I’m just gonna help you sit up, then I’ll let go, okay?” Jeremy nodded, whimpering softly.

“Now, didn’t I tell you not to walk without someone helping? You could have knocked your rib and done more damage,” Mama scolded lightly as she helped Jeremy up, removing her hands as soon as he was upright.

Michael shifted to look over and watch Jeremy and Mama, feeling his gut churn. He wished he could just remember what happened so he could help. He didn’t even know what kind of damage Jeremy got, but it was obviously severe.

Mama glanced over to Michael. “Cracked rib and severe bruising to both ankles and one is at least sprained. He can’t walk at the moment, and even breathing is difficult,” she explained, pausing to get Jeremy’s permission to lift his hospital gown to check his chest. When she got it, Michael saw Jeremy wasn’t wearing his binder, only a very loose bra. “The bots he had from his partial infection numbed a lot of his pain, so he was still able to move around and function without realizing how bad it was. That caused even more damage to him in the long run, which is why he’s on so much medication at the moment.”

Oh. “He was walking ‘cause of me earlier, he said he was going to get the nurses ‘cause I got sick and felt so bad,” Michael explained. “I still feel bad and foggy and all, but Jeremy matters more right now.”

Mama nodded understandingly as she lowered Jeremy’s hospital gown once more. “The sickness should pass after about half an hour from when you woke up.” She reached down and took Jeremy’s left foot, lifting it to look at his ankle. “And Jeremy keeps waking around, he keeps forgetting he can’t because the medication is dulling most of his pain.” She checked his other ankle. “This is the... third time in five hours?” She lowered Jeremy’s leg once more. “You got lucky, Jere.  _ Again _ . You only jostled things, no extra damage this time. But you need to be more careful!” Jeremy just stared up at her, as if contemplating something.

“Mama, you’re really beautiful,” he said after a moment.

Michael couldn’t help but laugh, even if Mama shot him a little look. “Maybe it’ll make things easier if I sit with him in his bed so I can keep an eye on him and keep him from moving?” he offered as he looked at Jeremy.

Mama hesitated. “I don’t know, Michael... He’s really sensitive to touch right now. He’s been literally, although accidentally, attacking people who touch him without a lot of warning...” 

“Mikey’s different. His touch isn’t scary like other touches,” Jeremy protested softly. “He didn’t grab me or hurt me like everyone else did. He’s like Cookie.”

“Why don’t we test it quickly while you’re here to be sure? I mean, he didn’t freak when I helped him sit up before, but still,” Michael suggested as he shifted in bed, turning to sit at the edge of the bed closest to Jeremy and Mama.

Jeremy reached out and made grabby hands at Michael, and Mama sighed. “Alright, just let me redo his IV lines and we can test it.” She started getting to work, adjusting the tubes connected to his wrist and checking the bags for the drip.

Michael waited until Mama did that before walking over. Mama just quickly checked him over, making sure his heartbeat monitor was secure. It was, and Michael walked over to Jeremy and took his hands. “Hi-“ He had to stop himself from using the normal nickname. It made Jeremy panic now. “Hi Jere.”

Jeremy squeezed Michael’s hand before leaning over and resting his head on Michael’s shoulder with a happy sigh. 

“My Mikey...” he almost purred, eyes closing. A lot of tension melted out of him and even if he was still clearly in some pain, he didn’t seem at all bothered by it anymore.

Michael shifted a little so they were in a better position. He squeezed Jeremy’s hands back before glancing at Mama, making sure this was alright.

Mama was smiling softly. “You two stay safe, someone will be back in an hour to help Jeremy do his walk around and to help him clear his lungs.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Michael’s head. “Press the call button if you need anything, okay?”

He nodded as he smiled. “Will do. Love you, Mama,” Michael said before pulling a hand away and waving at Mama as she left.

Jeremy didn't even seem to notice she had left, seemingly happy to just focus on Michael. "Mikey, you're my favorite person,” he cooed, nuzzling against Michael's shoulder. "I love you so so much."

“Th- Wait, what?” What. Why did Jeremy just say that, the love thing? No way he meant it how Michael would mean it. He was also super out of it and high on these pain killers, so he didn’t mean it like that, right? And where did that come from? It wasn’t like he ever told Jeremy how he felt.

Jeremy reached up and poked Michael's cheek. "You're thinking too much, cutie. I can hear it from here." He nuzzled back into his previous position. "Can you tell me when you're not feeling so icky? I wanna kiss you, if that's okay. But your cheek 'cause, even if I love you, I'm not kissing your mouth after you've hurled."

Oh god, he meant it in  _ that _ way. Or did the drugs make him think that way? God, this past however long he had been awake made him more confused and lost than he ever had been before. “I... Alright.”

Jeremy looked up at him, almost sadly. "You don't sound happy... Did you not mean it? 'Cause in the song you said you loved me and that it hurt that you thought I didn't love you too, so I'm trying to show you how much I  _ actually _ love you, but you don't sound happy about it now..." He looked away. "Was it a faker that he did 'cause he knew about how I felt from the others?" he asked softly, more to himself than actually to Michael.

“Jeremy, I-“ Michael took a deep breath as he carefully reached up to hold Jeremy’s face, to get him to look at him. “I don’t remember  _ anything _ that happened after I took care of you on Sunday. Everything is just overwhelming me and I can’t really understand everything I’m being told. I can get it in my head but it doesn’t make sense.” He took a deep breath as he took hold of his resolve and looked Jeremy dead in the eyes. “I don’t remember admitting that I love you, even though I do. I don’t remember anything that happened, Jeremy, and I’m sorry that I don’t. I  _ do _ love you though, even if this isn’t the way I wanted to say it...” He carefully let go of Jeremy’s face as he glanced away. “I can’t process everything and I’m just really overwhelmed right now. I didn’t mean to upset you, I just... Yeah.”

Jeremy reached up and guided Michael's hand back to his cheek, leaning into it. "It's okay. I'm sorry I helped with overwhelming you." He sighed softly. "And I'm sorry I was hurting you because you thought I didn't love you. I do. I do a lot, and I have for a very long time. Knowing that it's not just me..." Another sigh and Jeremy dropped Michael's hand and looked away again. "Knowing that you love me too and becoming friends with Brookie Cookie are the only good things that happened from this. I... I wish I didn't know about any of this besides those two things. I wish I could forget."

“Forgetting isn’t fun. I just feel so lost and confused and freaked out,” Michael told him. “Everyone remembers but me and I feel left out of the loop. It’s making me anxious and just... It’s not fun forgetting things,” he told Jeremy as he made sure he held both of Jeremy’s hand and laced their fingers together. “I want to know what I did, what happened, everything without being so freaked out and panicked and overwhelmed. I wanna know how you got hurt and what I apparently sang to you.”

"You sang a lot to me," Jeremy muttered. "We even had a duet. I rapped since I couldn't talk normally and if I sang, I would maybe die because Shimizu hates me and would rewrite me for sure." He paused before nodding. "Thank you for telling me you're anxious, though. I wanna help, but since you've been hiding how bad it is, I dunno what to look for to spot it and help."

“I’ll try to tell you when I’m anxious,” Michael promised before pausing. “Wait... you  _ rapped _ ?”

Jeremy giggled at that. "Yup. I did that. And I was pretty awesome, I think, since the computer blew up after." He hummed a little before whispering something. "It's time for you to join me, join me. It's time for you to join me and be free." That... sounded familiar. Michael felt a small snippet of music play in his head, he heard words and a melody. It barely lasted a second, but he was sure he heard those worse before, during whatever that song was.

“Well... thank you for saving us. Maybe you can sample something for me later,” Michael offered with a small smile as the exhaustion from being overwhelmed, getting sick, and everything else hit him.

"You wanna nap, Mikey? You look tired," Jeremy hummed. "You know, I can't wait for them to train up the service animals. A dog or two would be perfect to snuggle with right now."

“Yeah, I’m ti- Wait, service animals?” A pause to think. “We’re getting dogs?!”

"Yeah." Jeremy nodded. "We need to have them to detect episodes before they happen. So we can get away from people..." When Jeremy spotted Michael's confused expression, his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh wait, you don't know yet! There were side effects. We just can start singing randomly now. And everyone else is forced to join in." He sounded way too calm about that. Must be because of the medicine. "We are a real life musical now."

“We randomly burst into song now like we’re in a musical?!”

  
  
  


Jeremy liked being asleep now more than ever. Things didn't hurt when he was asleep, even if he had to sleep sitting up a bit now.

Except this period of sleep was being interrupted. There was some harsh breathing coming from nearby, and Jeremy could feel something next to him... shaking. What?

He forced his eyes open and glanced over at Michael.

Even without his glasses on, Jeremy could see the panic and confusion in Michael’s eyes. He was looking around the room a bit, tugging on the bed sheet a little as his breathing picked up. His eyes seemed glazed over with the panic and fright as he finally looked at and focused in on Jeremy. “Jeremy?...”

"Mikey, what's wrong?" Jeremy slurred out, trying to wake up enough to actually understand. Also ow, his medication had definitely been reduced.

“What... Why are we in the hospital? What happened? What happened to _ you _ ?” He seemed like he wanted to stumble out more questions but his breathing got heavier and he clung to the blanket now with both hands.

Jeremy frowned at that. Michael should know, he'd been told before their nap! Jeremy had even told him himself. Unless... were his memory problems ongoing? Was he struggling to actually form memories now?

"Hey, it's okay, Mikey. It's fine." Jeremy tried to calm him. "I'll explain everything in just a second, just focus on m-"

“We’re in the _ hospital _ , it’s not fine,” Michael insisted before whimpering and clutching his chest, as if he was in pain there.

Okay, stay calm, Jeremy could figure this-

Shit, he heard music starting to build. Someone was about to burst into song, and he knew it would be him. Jeremy quickly tried to force himself out of bed. The last thing Michael needed was a song during a panic attack. Jeremy could use the walker, that should be enough to at least get him to the bathroom and away from Michael.

"I gotta go. I'll be right back, Mikey, I promise." He climbed to his feet, grabbing onto the zimmer frame (and linking his IV stand to it), even if it hurt his chest to do so. It wouldn't be enough to put his rib at risk, he'd been told that much. He could deal with a little pain if it helped Michael.

“Wait, what?! No, please,” Michael begged, sounding so broken and frail as he reached over for Jeremy from his curled-up position. “Please,  _ please _ don’t go, please don’t.”

Jeremy hesitated, and he knew he shouldn't have when his next words came out with music. 

" _ I have to go. _ " Oh god, Michael wouldn't understand. This would just make things worse!

Michael hesitated, obviously confused, and his mouth seemed to move without him. “ _ Alright- _ ” His eyes widened and his breathing only sped up. “ _ Wait, please don’t leave! I can’t do this alone, so stay with me to grieve. _ ” Michael wept, so lost and so confused. “ _ God, what’s happening to me? _ ”

Jeremy couldn't leave him now. He forced himself back onto the bed, reaching for Michael but not touching. " _ I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry Mikey. _ " He waited to see if Michael would take his hands but he was ready to intervene if Michael started hurting himself, like he did when he had a meltdown. " _ I know this will be tough, but you need to listen to me. _ "

Michael was trying to listen to Jeremy, Jeremy could tell by how he tilted his head a little to his voice, but he couldn’t look up. “ _ I don’t know if I can do this. I can barely breathe. _ ” He hiccuped a few times as he started picking at his nailbeds and fingers. “ _ Jeremy, please help me get through this crisis. _ ”

Jeremy reached out and grabbed Michael's hands. Nope, not letting him do that today. " _ Michael, slow it right down, and just focus on me. _ " Jeremy's tone was firm even if he was still singing. He switched it to something softer, more reassuring for the next lines. " _ I'll be right here for you, just trust we'll make it through. _ "

Michael swallowed, even as he whimpered and tried to tug his hands free for a few moments. He stopped just as quickly as he had started. “ _ I trust you, I always have. I’ll try to slow my roll. _ ” Again, Michael swallowed. “ _ Maybe after this, we’ll have a laugh. But first, not panicking is the goal. _ ”

Okay, he had Michael's attention now. Time for Jeremy to actually help him. " _ Just take a breath, Michael. Take a deep breath and calm. _ " Jeremy didn't realize his voice could sound... soothing when he sang. Then again, he hadn't really sung in a very long time besides in private. " _ Just focus on me, Michael, or you'll do yourself harm. _ " Michael's breathing slowed somewhat.

" _ With me, you're safe. This song will end soon. I'm here for you, Michael, just play out the tune. _ " Michael was relaxing somewhat. Was it because he liked being near Jeremy, or was the song actually helping?

Michael took a few shaky, deep breaths, but he was getting better. The lost and confused look in his eyes was still present, but not as bad. He managed to hold onto Jeremy’s hands, intertwining their fingers. 

Whether it was him or the song, Jeremy was helping Michael. That was all that mattered right then and there.

Okay, Michael had the start of control. Jeremy needed to help enforce it. He focused and sure enough, the music slowed down too. " _ Let's slow down the tempo, match your breathing to this. _ " He had the beat right to make a good rhythm for grounding. " _ In and out and in and out. You can't go amiss. _ "

Michael was clearly listening, following Jeremy’s exaggerated breathing that he gave. He even squeezed Jeremy’s hands to the same rhythm.

" _ Just take a breath, Michael. _ " Okay, this was the chorus. And this time Michael was joining in as the backing vocals, his voice soft but present. " _ Take a deep breath and calm. _ "

Michael took a deep breath after he did the background vocals. " _ Just focus on me Michael, or you'll do yourself harm. _ " Michael nodded as he sung, looking right at Jeremy like he was his world. " _ With me you're safe. This song will end soon. I'm here for you, Michael. Just play out the tune. _ "

The music faded out and Jeremy shot Michael a sort of shaky smile. He really hated singing, it made him panicky, but Michael seemed more relaxed so Jeremy would deal.

He squeezed Michael's hands. "Doing a little better, Mikey?" he asked softly.

"I... Y-yeah." Michael swallowed as he glanced up at Jeremy. "What... what just happened?"

"A number." Jeremy sighed. "It's part of why we're in hospital. But we’re okay, I promise... Just give me a chance to explain, yeah?" Jeremy started talking about how hipster The Flower's Wall was, leading into how they were all singing. It was a weird transition, but the way he did it made sense.

Michael blinked, looking a bit overwhelmed, but not as overwhelmed as he remembered Michael being earlier. “I... That’s... That sounds like a plot of a meta musical, not real life,” Michael said as he let one of Jeremy’s hands go and ran his now-free hand through his hair.

"Yeah," Jeremy agreed. "And I'd totally agree with you if we didn't just sing a literal panic attack, and I didn't have all these injuries." Speaking of, he sat up properly, grabbed a pillow close to his chest, and coughed. Ah, much better. No more rasp or mucus. Ugh, rib stuff was gross.

“Yeah, what happened to you?” Michael looked over Jeremy with a tender look of care and worry. God, he really did love Michael, even if Michael didn’t remember that fact right now.

"What  _ hasn't _ happened to me?" Jeremy joked weakly before sighing. "It's a result of a couple of songs. I was protecting one of the other survivors in the first one. Brooke Lohst. But yeah, cracked my ribs and got covered in bruises. And I can barely walk thanks to the second."

“Oh, Jeremy...” Michael teared up a little before reaching up and hesitating before moving from his cheek to his hair. Jeremy knew Michael probably meant to cup his cheek, but he hesitated. Now that he knew how Michael felt, it hurt his heart a little to notice these things. “You just had to be a hero and protect others,” Michael murmured as he playfully prodded Jeremy’s forehead.

Jeremy hesitated himself, then he reached up and took Michael's hand, moving it to his cheek after all. Michael looked confused. "One of the reasons you can’t remember stuff is because Shimizu messed with you, and he messed with you because..." He sighed heavily. "Mikey, I know how you feel about me. And I feel the same." He closed his eyes and leaned into the still gentle touch on his cheek.

There was a subtle flinch in Michael’s hand after he said that, a tension lingering for a few moments. “You... What?” Michael cut himself off a few times before asking, “You... you love me?” He sounded so scared and hesitant as he asked that.

Jeremy didn't open his eyes. Instead, he just nodded, nuzzling against Michael's hand inadvertently. "Yeah. I love you. I have for a very long time."

Michael’s hand relaxed then, a more relaxed silence filling the air as Michael seemed to take this all in. “You... you love me. You’ve loved me for a long time. But you told me you had a crush on Christine at the start of the semester.”

"No, I said I really love her. As a friend. She had bought me a new binder, dude, one with a Pac-Man design. It's my favorite one since it's the most comfy one I have."

“Oh.” Opening his eyes, Jeremy saw the surprise and slight look of self-reprimanding that Michael had as he looked at his lap. “My bad then...”

Jeremy rubbed his thumb over the back of Michael's hand. "In your defence, I  _ did _ only come out as bi to you on Sunday." He could feel his cheeks heating up with his next admittance. "The 'gay poetry' was all about you. That's why I never showed you or told you."

Michael’s eyes widened as he looked down at Jeremy then. “Wait, what? I... Holy shit.” He smiled then, even if it was a little wobbly. “You wrote gay poetry about me.”

"I did," Jeremy agreed softly. "Like I said, a long time."

It seemed like Michael thought about that for a good minute. “How long?”

"About two years,"Jeremy admitted.

“Wait, two years?” Jeremy nodded as Michael’s mouth was agape. “How did I not notice? I’m just... I...”

“I wasn’t exactly being obvious, Mikey.” Jeremy almost chucked. “In fact, I regularly fought so that you  _ didn’t _ notice at first. I didn’t think you’d feel the same, so I did my best to just be happy being your best friend.”

"Well that makes sense as to why I could never tell," Michael murmured as he slowly leaned back in bed then, still looking at Jeremy. "I couldn't ever figure out if you felt the same, so I was thinking it was going to be some long, unrequited thing like in one-sided fanfics."

Jeremy climbed back into the bed properly, leaning onto his slanted pillow. It kept him upright mostly but was still comfy. "Yeah, well... now you know." Jeremy had to tell him. Michael needed to know.

"Hey Mikey? This... You've already woken up in the hospital before. And we already talked about this stuff..." Jeremy reached over and pressed the call button. "I'm gonna call Mama here so she can check you over. I think your memory problems might be more than just for the whole musical thing."

Michael looked at Jeremy then, eyes wide with shock. “I have? I... Oh, this... Oh no,” he whispered, looking a little shaken up but not like he was going to have a huge freakout.

“Considering how much you were messed with, it makes sense.” Jeremy reached down and took Michael’s hand. “But I’m sure it’s temporary.”

It took a moment for Michael to look back up at Jeremy. “But what if I forget this too? Everything that just happened? What if I forget everything that  _ will _ happen?”

“Then I’ll keep telling you forever,” Jeremy said seriously.

Michael let out a wet laugh at that. “Isn’t that, like, the plot of that movie? Uh... The Notebook?”

Jeremy shrugged. “Dunno, I just know I’m not leaving you to deal with it alone.” He shot Michael a smile. “We’re best friends first. I’d never abandon you.”

"And I'd never abandon you. You're my favorite person and my best friend," Michael told him, squeezing Jeremy's hand before he looked over at the door, seeing Mama come in with the two nurses from before.

Jeremy looked up at her. “Mama, Mikey can’t remember waking up before. He lost the memories.”

Mama's eyes widened for a moment before she looked at Michael then. "Do you not remember the conversation we had earlier?"

Michael shook his head, gnawing on his lower lip. "No. I'm sorry, Mama."

Jeremy squeezed Michael’s hand in reassurance. “He’s processed things better this time, so I think maybe he still has some memories, just that they’re hidden. Also the fact that I’m not loopy probably helps.”

Mama seemed to think that over as she sat down on the edge of the bed, running her hand through Michael's hair. "We'll have to do a brain scan to be sure," she said before placing a kiss to Michael's forehead. "This'll be tough, I won't lie to you, but you'll have people to help you with this, hun."

"Thank you..." Michael sniffled, squeezing Jeremy's hand again as he said that.

Jeremy scooted away a little, not wanting to brush against Mama and freak out again. He didn’t let go of Michael’s hand though.

She seemed to understand, not reacting whatsoever as she brushed back Michael's hair. "I'll start writing these occurrences down so we can have a record and monitor this. I'll be back in an hour to let you know how things are going and possible courses of action. I'll also come in to check up on you, Jeremy, unless you want to do it right now? It's fine if you don't want to, since we weren't planning on doing one just yet."

Jeremy took a breath. “Can we now while I’m calm please?”

"Yeah, of course," Mama said as she moved to sit on the other side of the bed, taking the chart from the end of his bed as she shifted.

Jeremy readied himself. Just focus on now. Mama was fine, she wasn’t going to hurt him again or try to make him something else. She was going to help him. Even as he thought all this, he still tensed up as Mama’s hand came in contact with his arm. He flinched, something Michael clearly picked up on.

"Hey, so you said something about Brooke, Brooke Lohst, right?" Michael asked as he squeezed Jeremy's hand. "You, like, specifically mentioned her. Are you close with her now? Is my best friend status threatened by her?"

“No. She’s just- she’s something else, Mikey.” Jeremy tried his best to focus on Michael, smiling a little at the thought of Brooke. “She’s kinda like a sister almost, she teases me but we love each other. Once I’m cleared to walk again, I’m taking her cardigan shopping. I gave her the yellow one that you hate the feel of.”

"Aww, you're sweet. Yeah, it felt gross but it also washed you out and made you look pale and sickly," Michael said before humming. "Do I need to put her through the Michael Mell Test? She needs the Michael Mell Seal of Approval."

Jeremy thought for a moment, allowing Mama to lift his hospital gown to check his ribs. “You should, just to be sure, but she’s passed my tests. And she saved me, like, a lot.”

"Doesn't mean she'll pass  _ my _ test," Michael pointed out with a teasing grin. "The test of the best friend is always the most important test."

“Yeah.” Jeremy nodded. “I think you’ll like her. She said she’d try slushies with us some time since she’s never had one. She was excited for it.”

"Mm... The jury cannot take any bribery or bias into consideration with this," Michael said, pouting a little until Jeremy felt his hospital gown shifted back.

Mama lifted his leg to check his ankles. “Yeah, you’re right. I just think you’ll like her. She’s sassy and sweet and genuine. And even if people ignore her to focus on Chloe, she deserves the attention ‘cause she’s awesome.” He nodded proudly. He was firmly in the Brooke Lohst fan club after everything that happened. She was the only other person who he could handle touching him too, so that was important.

"Mm... I'll still have to take a non-bias point of view when I meet her," Michael decided, nodding firmly.

“As her defense, it’s my job to sway you.” Jeremy managed a cheeky smile, but it was tight. He didn’t like Mama touching him, which made him sad. He wished he could hug her again without panicking. He wished he could hug his dad without panicking too. His dad was finally making an effort again, not just hiding in their living room in his bathrobe and waiting for Jeremy’s mom to come back.

"Well you need to just stop that. I need to have no swaying done. Don't be a meanie." Still, Michael was smiling and he squeezed Jeremy's hand again.

Mama pressed a particularly tender point on his leg and Jeremy whined, weakly trying to pull it back away from her without flailing and hurting her more.

“It’s swollen, Jeremy. We’re going to need to take you in for an x-ray on it.” Mama sighed. “A normal bruised bone wouldn’t be like this.” Jeremy whined again.

"Hey, it'll be alright, Jeremy," Michael assured him, squeezing his hand. "If I can, I'll come with you and help support you so you aren't as freaked."

“Please.” Jeremy nodded, shutting his eyes to ground himself. “I can’t handle people touching me. Only you and Brooke.”

“Then I’ll definitely be with you through it,” Jeremy was promised before Michael hesitated then kissed the back of his hand.

Jeremy's eyes shot open as he looked down at Michael, cheeks darkening into a deep blush. Mama put down his leg and Jeremy relaxed. It calmed him enough to give him the courage to kiss the back of Michael's hand hesitantly.

"So you've confessed then, Jeremy?" Mama asked cheekily. "And you, Mikey, you've finally done it too? It's about time you two, really."

Michael whined as he pouted and looked away, his cheeks red. “Mama, stop,” he whined, looking so adorable all the while.

  
  
  


Jeremy rolled his wheelchair toward the hospital lobby from the elevator. He was excited because today was when they were supposed to be meeting their dogs. Since they got first choice, Jeremy and Michael had to go to the lobby to meet them and choose who they wanted the most. 

"You still remember why we're going down here, Mikey?" he asked with a gentle grin.

Michael nodded as he walked out of the elevator with Jeremy. “Yeah, to get our service dogs,” he explained. “Because we went through a lot of trauma and need ‘em. Also that we like each other.” He was starting to form some memories, and at least it was the core of the base things he needed to remember.

Jeremy beamed. "Yup. We get our dogs to help us out. And yes, we like each other. We get first choice since we have the most issues,  _ and _ we need to make sure our dogs get along too."

“Yeah, yeah, you talked with me about that... yesterday?” he asked, looking at Jeremy with a hesitant smile.

"That's right." Jeremy nodded, letting himself just roll for a moment so he could reach up and pat Michael's arm. In actuality, it had been a couple of times in the past few days, but the fact he remembered yesterday was amazing progress. "Er, could you please push me? I feel like I might be straining my chest a little."

“Yeah, of course. I’ve been telling you to let me do that.” Michael took Jeremy’s wheelchair, and he started pushing Jeremy along. “You just gotta direct me on where to take us.”

Jeremy grinned sheepishly. "Sure. We just head down here and take the next left. Stop at the pen full of fluff." Jeremy had seen pictures from his dad about what was waiting for them downstairs. The dogs had been set up in the waiting area with a little fence around them. Some of the little kids who were recovering had been invited down to come and spend time with them, so they were working as therapy dogs as well as waiting for the boys to come and choose.

“What kind of options of dogs do we have?” Michael asked as he started down the hall. “I wanna know my options.”

Jeremy actually had to think about that. "Erm, there are a few types. They're the sort that are best for hard of hearing people, I think, since we give off a small hum or something before we burst into song, which is part of what they're trained to detect..." He pulled out his phone and checked the picture. "We have... golden retrievers, poodles, cocker spaniels, labrador retrievers, and cockapoos. According to dad, anyways."

“I’m gonna die, it’s gonna be so hard to choose,” Michael murmured and whined as he made it to the end of the hall and almost took a right. He corrected himself before committing and took a left instead.

As expected, the pen of dogs was adorable, as were all the children sitting with them and stroking them. Michael actually stopped pushing Jeremy for a moment just to take the sight in.

"We can get closer, you know." Jeremy giggled, reaching up to poke Michael's chest a few times. "C'mon, I wanna go find myself a good doggo to look after me."

He hesitated for a second as he was sort of snapped out of his stupor before nodding. “Yeah, right, sorry,” Michael said before continuing to push them toward the pen.

Upon seeing the two approach, one of the handlers started ushering the kids out, with a promise that the rest of the dogs would be coming around the hospital later today.

Once it was clear, both Jeremy and Michael were brought in. "All these dogs have been trained to recognize the signs of an oncoming episode,” the lead handler explained. "And they have also been trained to assist with autism and PTSD, since a number of those affected in town have those issues. So you're clear to take whichever dog you feel is right. They're all really friendly, and have been trained with a generic sound so you can still name them."

Jeremy nodded as he heard Michael happily hum. “Yeah, thank you so much,” he said with an obvious grin in his voice.

Michael pushed Jeremy into the middle of the pen at his insistence and the two allowed themselves to be crowded by the excitable balls of fluff and love. How they were supposed to choose just one, Jeremy wasn't sure, as he started stroking any and every dog he could reach, giggling all the while.

Michael ended up sitting down nearby and opened his arms for any and all dogs. He burst out laughing as many dogs came to him, nuzzling or licking or snuggling close. “I love them all.”

"How do we choose just one each?" Jeremy asked, cooing over a cockapoo who stood on its back legs to try and reach him.

“I don’t know,” Michael whined as he pet a Labrador retriever and giggled. “It’s too hard of a choice.”

They spent the next few minutes drowning in love and doggie kisses. Jeremy was about to give up hope and just insist that they take them all when he spotted one dog, sitting off to the side. It was a red labrador, with a beautiful rust colored coat. It looked... almost nervous as it watched on. Hopeful but seemingly a little unsure of the crowd. The purple collar labeled the dog as a girl (they used purple for the girls and green for the boys), and Jeremy just about melted at the sight of her.

After setting down the cocker spaniel he'd pulled into his lap, Jeremy held out his hands, beckoning the god over. "Come here, girl. It's alright,” he called.

The dog perked up at being invited over and bounded over to Jeremy, slowing to a stop just in front of him and resting her head politely on his lap, waiting for cuddles but not demanding them like the others. Oh, she was so sweet and so polite and just perfect.

"Heya girl,” Jeremy cooed, stroking her ears and giggling at the happy face she had. "You're such a lovely good girl, yes you are!"

The dog let out an eager growl, leaning into his touches and an almost smiling. She was so patient and polite and eager. It seemed that the other dogs all moved on, either playing with each other or going after Michael to cuddle and play with.

"You're gonna be my dog, aren't you?" he asked softly. She growled happily, her tail wagging. Clearly she liked that idea. "C'mon, girl. Up." He helped her hop into his lap and get settled. She was still young enough that she was light and fit easily. Yeah, this was his dog. She was perfect. 

He glanced over to Michael to see how his search was going, giggling when he saw Michael still buried in fluff. He cuddled his dog and watched on.

His new dog rested his head on Jeremy’s shoulder while Michael managed to sit up. “Hey, I love you all, but wait a little bit, please,” Michael said around a laugh, brushing some of the fur off of his face. “Please, I need to catch my breath.”

Some of the dogs backed off at his request, and the others eventually got off after he pushed them off. Michael seemed to be overjoyed at being smothered, but also a little overwhelmed.

He let out a few exhales before looking around. Michael locked eyes with a golden retriever that was patiently sitting to the side. “Oh, hi there, buddy,” Michael said as he smiled and invited the dog over.

The dog stood and walked over to Michael slowly, waiting for him to finish pushing the other dogs off of him before sitting next to Michael. The dog ducked her head and sort of gently butted Michael's shoulder before waiting for him to respond. She didn't force Michael to cuddle her, nor try to push her way to the front, she just made himself known and waited.

Michael laughed a little as he reached up and let her. “You’re such a patient girl, aren’t you?” he posed as he scrubbed one of her ears.

She melted at the touch, eyes closing in happiness as she leaned into the touch. Then, after pausing part of the way down to check if it was okay, she climbed into Michael's lap and leaned against him, rubbing her head up and down on his chest slowly, almost in time with his breathing.

“Oh wow, that’s... You’re so good,” Michael murmured at a volume that Jeremy had to strain to hear. “That’s really nice, what you’re doing.”

Jeremy nuzzled against his own dog's neck as he watched the scene in front of him. Michael looked so at peace and present as he cuddled the beautiful dog in front of him, and it warmed Jeremy's heart to see him so relaxed. 

He had a feeling that she was the right dog for Michael. He was too cuddly to pass her up, and Jeremy noted that she seemed to be trying to help him relax. Yeah, perfect dog for Michael.

Jeremy felt something wet lick his ear and he giggled, turning his attention back to his own dog. "Hello my beautiful girl. Yes, you're coming home with me. You're still my best doggo, she's just gonna be  _ Michael's _ best doggo, maybe,” he cooed, scrubbing her ears before nuzzling against her silky coat.

His dog happily wiggled in his lap for a second before licking his face a bit. She was clearly excited about that as she looked at Michael and his dog before nuzzling back against Jeremy and growling happily.

"Is she your friend, sweetheart?" His dog growled and wagged her tail before settling down, curling up on Jeremy's lap with her head on the armrest of his wheelchair, leaning against his arm. This dog was amazing and Jeremy adored her already. She made him feel happy and hopeful for the future and-

"You're gonna be called Hope,” he told her, using his free arm to scratch behind her ears. She growled softly, content. "Oh, you like that name? Well, Hope, you're coming home with me and we're gonna look after each other."

Hope seemed very happy about that as she reached up and licked Jeremy’s face a few times. She then looked over to the side, her tail wagging as Michael scooted his way over with his dog walking beside him at his scooting pace. “I’m guessing you found your dog?”

"Yup." Jeremy beamed up at him, scrubbing at Hope's sides. "Meet Hope. She's a polite girl,” Jeremy introduced. "Hope, this is Michael. My favorite person." Hope yipped in a friendly way before snuggling against Jeremy again almost shyly.

Michael hummed softly as he reached his hand over for Hope to sniff. She hesitated before doing so, seemingly more out of reluctance to leave Jeremy. After sniffing for a few moments, she nuzzled against Michael’s hand and licked it before snuggling back with Jeremy. “She’s a sweetie.”

"Isn't she?" Jeremy cooed, cuddling with Hope again with a happy sigh. "She seemed nervous to come over, but I just knew she was right for me the moment we met." He kissed the top of her head. "Have you come up with a name for your dog yet?" He looked over towards the retriever with a small smile.

His best friend hummed as he scratched under his dog’s chin. Her tail wagged and thumped against the ground. “Yeah, her name is Goldie. Like Goldie from Animal Crossing,” Michael explained before kissing Goldie’s wet nose.

"I bet she's just as sweet too." Jeremy held out a hand for her to sniff, waiting to see her reaction.

Goldie curiously looked at his hand before leaning over and sniffing his hand. She nuzzled against it after glancing at Jeremy, as if making sure it was alright. When Jeremy relaxed at her touch, she nuzzled the hell out of his hand. “She’s patient and very snuggly.”

"I can see." Jeremy giggled. Hope looked over at Goldie before leaning down and booping their noses together. Goldie licked at her muzzle as Hope came back to cuddle with Jeremy. "I think they might already be friends, Mikey."

“Maybe they are, or maybe they’re more than that,” Michael suggested as he playfully wiggled his brows. Goldie then went to rest her head against Michael’s chest again, back in his lap, and Michael relaxed with a soft hum.

"They're a perfect match for each other then as well as us." Jeremy grinned, looking down at Michael with soft eyes as he snuggled with his dog. He couldn't remember feeling so relaxed in the past two weeks.

“Yeah, they are. Just like how we are for each other too.”

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! Another late posting, sorry about that! I'm still not used to being in charge of this. This is why Ari is usually in charge :P  
> This chapter has a lot of ups and downs. We always have a recovery chapter, but there was just too much to fit into one set. There's so much that has happened to our boys that they need lots and lots of time to recover.   
> It is also worth noting that both the boys have got serious issues, so this chapter includes breakdowns, memory loss and even some accidental self hard. Be warned and Enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from the more competent of the two of us :3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> We have more moments of recovery. This would be /the/ recovery chapter, but we had so many scenes that we needed and wanted to put in that there are two chapters for it. There is a lot in this chapter with memory and disassociation and having episodes so be careful. There's accidental self harm but it isn't too bad or described vividly.  
> Enjoy!

Michael grumbled to himself as he started waking up. Ugh, it was Monday, he didn’t want to have to go to school. Alas, he had to.

Sitting up in bed, Michael looked over at his clock before realizing shit, he had overslept! And he had a test today if he remembered correctly! Shit shit shit!

Quickly, Michael flung out of bed, grabbing his phone as he quickly got changed. He looked around and- wait, where did his backpack go? He looked for a second before finding it hanging on his door handle. Weird, he normally left it next to his desk. Whatever, he had to go to make sure he didn’t miss third!

Dashing out of his room and down the stairs once he got changed, Michael zoomed by the kitchen to grab a thing of PopTarts. He also got a bottle of water before going to the front door, grabbing his keys, and slipping his shoes on before bolting out. “Fuck fuck fuck,” Michael hissed as he quickly unlocked the Cruiser, opening the door and tossing his backpack into the backseat before fumbling with his keys.

"Michael, wait!" Jeremy called out from the porch. Wait, Jeremy? He came speeding out in a fucking wheelchair with two dogs chasing after him, rolling down a small ramp to the side of the porch. "Don't you dare drive off, Michael Oliver Mell!"

Since when did they have a ramp? Since when was Jeremy here with two dogs? Since  _ when _ was Jeremy in a wheelchair?! “Wh-“ Michael stopped messing with his keys, almost dropping them as he looked at Jeremy. “Jeremy? What... Why are you...  _ What _ ?” He was so shocked that he almost didn’t notice the dog gently tugging at his hand and nudging against him. Oh, it was a beautiful golden lab- Why did the dog have a patch-covered bandana on? With the Animal Crossing leaf patch he was planning to put on his own hoodie?

"Good girl, Goldie." Jeremy nodded, rolling over to Michael. "You need to come inside, Michael. I'll explain everything-" He yawned. "-in there. And can you please push me inside? This is killer on my chest."

“I...” Everything was so much, but he needed to know what was happening. 

Michael hesitated before nodding, going and getting his backpack before pocketing his keys and taking Jeremy’s wheelchair. Since when did he have this? “Yeah, yeah...”

As he started pushing Jeremy inside, the two dogs got on either side of him. The golden retriever nuzzled his hand and the red lab kept a close eye on Jeremy. 

"I need to know some things before we can start talking, Mikey,” Jeremy started. "What day is it for you, and what's the most recent thing you can remember happening?" he asked as they arrived in the living room, where the large couch was set up as a bed. It looked like someone had thrown themselves from it. Maybe Jeremy?

“It’s Monday. I was taking care of you yesterday night at your house, and... you’re suddenly here in a wheelchair.” His head hurt with all of this conflicting information. Why was Jeremy suddenly in a wheelchair? When did he get here? Why were there suddenly two dogs here? Why didn’t Jeremy want him to drive? Why-

The golden retriever nuzzled his hand again, startling him out of his thoughts. "Mikey, sit down somewhere, you're going to pass out if you're not careful,” Jeremy warned. "You're hyperventilating." The red lab jumped up onto Jeremy's lap and got itself comfortable, curling up with its head resting on the arm of the wheelchair.

He had been? Oh. “Ah, um, OK...” Michael managed to sit down on the couch, the golden retriever hopping up and settling after a moment in his lap. The dog rested against his chest, and Michael felt a little better with that.

"First, this is Goldie." Jeremy waved his hand towards the dog in Michael's lap. "She's your service dog. You've only had her for a few days but you're both a perfect match for each other." He didn't sound surprised about any of this. "You've been having memory problems for the last two and a half weeks. This is the third day we've been out of the hospital, and the second time you've almost gone to school. We're on an indefinite absence until your memory is stable and my anxiety is more manageable, as well as the rest of the town being stable too."

“Wait...” Michael tried to take everything Jeremy said in, taking a few deep breaths to match the way Goldie, apparently, rubbed against his chest. “I... Why don’t we have to go to school? Why am I not remembering things?”

"Because of what happened on the Monday after the school play, the day you think it is now." Jeremy began telling an impossible story of nanobots and singing and what seemed to be the end of the world as they knew it. "I managed to stop Shimizu before he released the bots to the rest of the world, so it's just our town affected, but it's a registered condition worldwide now,” he finished, leaning back.

“That...” It sounded so surreal, but so was the idea that, the day after he took care of Jeremy with a stomach bug, he was at his house in a wheelchair and they now had dogs. “Well... That’s hard to believe, but I believe it somehow.” He looked at Jeremy though and raised a brow. “Well, why wouldn’t I have been able to drive to school? I could’ve gone there, seen no one was there, and driven back.”

Jeremy shook his head. "Your memory problems can make you spacy. You can forget what you're doing in the moment sometimes, so you're not allowed to drive." He sighed. "That's why I'm here, in part. I'm your elected carer, since you need someone with you at all times."

That... Michael hated that it made sense. Goldie pressed closer against his chest, helping him to calm down. “Will I never be able to drive again or something?”

"You'll be cleared to drive soon enough, hun." Jeremy started stroking his own dog. "This is your first full relapse in a few days. It used to be every time you woke up. You're getting better."

Well... That was good, at least. Even if he couldn’t remember improving, he was improving. “Alright, good. I’d go crazy if I couldn’t drive again.”

"Yeah, I have no doubt." Jeremy chuckled, tapping his dog, who hopped out of his lap. Jeremy shifted and stood, transfering himself over to the couch and leaning back against it. "Ugh, I hate being in that chair, even if it does help me get around." He looked down at his right leg. "I wish this broken ankle of mine would just heal already. And this broken rib. I wanna be able to cuddle again." His dog whined and hopped into his lap again, nuzzling at his cheek. "Not just with you Hope." He chuckled.

“I... Yeah, that makes sense that you have that after what you said you went through,” Michael murmured, running a hand gently through a section of Goldie’s fur. He hadn’t been able to help Jeremy, even if it wasn’t his fault. Jeremy was wheelchair bound right now. He had a fucked up memory. Holy shit.

"You did your best, hun. And you saved me when it counted. I wouldn't have stood a chance if you didn't push me out of the way before you got caught." Jeremy seemed to recognize his expression.

Michael took a deep breath then. Jeremy had probably seen him come to this conclusion a lot up to now. Wait... “Did you just call me ‘hun?’”

Jeremy's eyes widened and his cheeks lit up in a blush. "Erm, yeah. Damnit, you'd think I'd remember to spring that on you  _ slowly _ by now,” he muttered to himself. Then he half smiled up at Michael. "We're together... sort of. We're taking it slow since your memory problems make it kinda hard, but we are together. I love you and you love me and we've been happy so far."

Wait... Holy shit. “Oh...” Michael stared at Jeremy, then he realized he was staring so he looked away. “Uh... Did the confession happen nicely at least?”

Jeremy hesitated. "Not really. It... you were forced to use it against me, since Shimizu found out about my feelings from the others. I..." He looked away. "I almost didn't make it from that encounter. If it wasn't for Brooke, I would have been turned at that point."

“Oh... Well, I’m sorry it wasn’t under good circumstances then,” Michael murmured as he kept petting Goldie. It helped to keep him calm.

"Yeah, well... We've had some cute love songs since then. It’s sort of helped with the difficult confession."

“That’s good at least,” Michael said as he looked back at Jeremy. He was looking at him with tender care and worry. “Uh... So, we still sing?”

"Yeah." Jeremy didn't sound happy about that, understandably so. "That's why we were given service dogs in the first place. So they can detect when it's going to happen and get us away from normal people so we don't drag them into our number."

Michael nodded to that before he pressed a few kisses to the top of Goldie’s head. “That... makes sense.”

"You seem comfy there." Jeremy shot Michael a small, somewhat tight smile as he glanced up at him.

“I’m comfy but internally trying to not freak,” Michael admitted. He hesitated before holding his free hand out to Jeremy. “This is a lot. It looks like it’s a lot for you too.”

"Yeah, but I'm also used to it by now." Jeremy sighed, but he did take Michael's hand and squeezed it, shooting him a smile. "And even if you don't remember most things that happened, you're still Michael and that helps more than you realize."

He nodded to Jeremy’s words as he squeezed his hand in return. “I’m... I’m glad you’re here for me, even if it’s annoying to come after me.”

"It's not annoying, hun," Jeremy assured him instantly. "I just worry, is all. Besides, I'm your carer, aren't I? I knew what I was signing up for." He chuckled and leaned against Michael's arm. The gesture was innocent enough, but it made Michael's heart start to race, especially since he knew the intimacy behind it now.

“Still. I worry about  _ you _ though,” Michael told him as he looked fondly down at Jeremy (he could do this without worry now!).

Jeremy smiled warmly up at him. “Get down here, I wanna kiss you but stretching strains my chest.”

Oh my  _ god _ ! “I- have we kissed before now?” Michael asked around a squeak that was totally not manly.

“Just on the cheek, which is all I’m after right now.” Jeremy chuckled. “As much as I would enjoy you getting your ‘first kiss’ over and over, I want you to be able to remember it. So we’re saving it until your memory is more stable.”

“I was just going to ask about that ‘cause I wanna remember that,” Michael murmured as he bent his head down, sure his cheeks were flaming.

Jeremy’s lips were soft against his cheek, and familiar somehow. Maybe the memory was still there, just hidden. Either way, Michael loved it and Jeremy was beaming as he pulled back.

“My god, that was amazing,” Michael muttered as he stared down in Jeremy, surely in awe.

Jeremy’s grin got brighter and turned a little mischievous. He tapped his cheek, tilting it up toward Michael.

Oh my god. He was gonna kiss Jeremy’s cheek. Michael had probably done it a few times already and didn’t remember, but still! 

He bent down then, pressing a lingering kiss to Jeremy’s cheek. Besides the faint acne, Jeremy’s cheek was smooth and soft to the touch of his lips.

When Michael pulled back, he saw Jeremy’s eyes were closed in contentment and he had a light blush on his cheeks. He was beautiful in ways Michael had only imagined (he didn’t really do him justice, he now realized).

“Mmm, that’s really nice, hun,” Jeremy hummed.

“You’re really nice,” Michael echoed, stopping after he realized what he said before laughing at himself. “God, I’m a huge mess.”

“You are every time.” Jeremy giggled softly, looking up at Michael. It was the same look as always, but Michael could see the love in his expression now.

“Well, at least something about me is consistent.” At least he could have something that he could fall back on: his humor.

Jeremy giggled again. “I love you, Mikey,” he cooed.

Hearing that made his heart soar. “I love you too, Jeremy.”

  
  
  


Two minutes. Jeremy thought Michael would be fine alone for two minutes while he went to the toilet. Except Goldie was right outside the door, pawing at it and whining desperately with Hope by her side.

Jeremy never moved his wheelchair faster, almost skidding into the kitchen.

Michael was chopping an apple, or trying to. His hands were all cut up and there was a small puddle of blood on the chopping board. He had the sort of glazed look in his eyes that Jeremy had come to associate with his spacey episodes, where he couldn’t remember the instantaneous things happening and he didn’t register anything else. “Mikey, put down the knife,” Jeremy called, rolling closer despite the pain it was causing in his chest from moving so fast.

“I don’t need to put it down, I’m just cutting my apple,” Michael said, the glazed look never fading as he tried to cut another slice of apple. He managed it, but more beads of blood fell and stained the inside of the apple. “It’s fine.” Over at Jeremy he looked, as if nothing was wrong. It wasn’t like he thought anything was wrong either, as he probably couldn’t even feel how his hands were cut to hell right now.

Jeremy couldn't let this continue, he needed to treat Michael's hands and stop him from getting more hurt. Despite the fact that it hurt a lot, Jeremy forced himself to his feet, ignoring how much his broken ankle wanted to collapse under him (the cast helped somewhat but not enough). He grabbed Michael's wrist, the one holding the knife.

"Put the knife down, Mikey,” he said again firmly, stifling the whine that threatened to escape as he shifted his weight a little.

“Why do I need to? I’m just trying to cut my apple,” Michael repeated, sounding so confused as Goldie whined nearby. Hope was whining too. “Let me cut my apple. I’m hungry and want a snack. I’m almost done cutting it.”

"You're almost done slicing up your hand, Mikey,” Jeremy responded gently. "You're bleeding everywhere."

“What? No, I’m cutting my apple,” Michael insisted, frowning. “I wouldn’t slice up my hand.” Still, he looked down at his hand near the apple, some clarity returning to him as he stared. “I- Wait... When did my hand get so messed up?”

"You were spacing again, hun,” Jeremy murmured, taking the knife away from Michael. "C'mon, let's go patch you up, then I'll help you cut a new apple." Jeremy put down the knife and fell back into his chair with a grunt.

Michael was still just staring at his hand, as if it would give him an answer to something if he stared long enough. Then he started tearing up, even as Goldie gently nudged his side. “I...”

"Mikey, please." Jeremy sighed. "I can't lead you and push my chair. I need you to follow me to the bathroom, then we can talk."

What Jeremy got in response with a small, “OK,” before Michael walked to stand beside his chair, even as his tears kept falling.

Jeremy desperately wanted to just hold Michael close, but he couldn’t do that and move his chair. He got them to the bathroom as quickly as possible, and he instructed Michael to sit on the closed lid of the toilet as he got out the first aid kit.

Before anything else, Jeremy leaned forward and grabbed Michael in a hug as tight as he possibly could without hurting himself. “Hey, it’s okay Mikey. You’re gonna be okay,” he murmured.

Michael let out a choked sob as he leaned into Jeremy’s hug, still personally stiff. “I... I don’t even remember cutting my hand, but I did...”

“It happens, Mikey. And it’s not too bad, nothing a bandage can’t fix.” The cuts weren’t deep, from what Jeremy saw, they just looked bad. “It’s not the end of the world, hun, it’s just an accident, is all.”

“But...” He let out another choked sob but didn’t argue any further as he just let himself be held by Jeremy.

“I know. It’s scary, isn’t it?” Jeremy nodded, rubbing Michael’s back soothingly. “But you’re getting better. It’s been three whole days since your last spacey episode and a whole week since your last full relapse. You’re getting better.” Michael hadn’t relapsed and forgotten everything since waking up to go to school, and while he’d lost bits and pieces, they actually came back after a while.

“But I’m still forgetting and going spacey,” Michael weakly said. “This sucks. I suck and I’m just being a pain and trouble for you.”

“Michael Oliver Mell, you do not  _ suck _ ,” Jeremy said firmly, pulling back to cup Michael’s cheeks. “You had your brain messed with beyond belief, and you’re recovering from it. You’re doing so well and I’m so happy that you’re getting better. Trust me, I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to be your carer, and I was so worried it would be ten times worse,” he confessed.

“But I’m doing stuff like this and you’re hurting yourself to care for me and stuff,” Michael pointed out around a sniffle. “I- I don’t wanna hurt you. I’m just stressing you and worrying you.”

“Hey,” Jeremy said, squeezing Michael’s cheeks, “I  _ asked _ for this.” He hadn’t told Michael this yet. “I practically  _ begged _ to be the one who looked after you, and my doctor said it would be fine. The most that happens is that my healing is a little slower but I don’t care. You needed me and I’m not leaving you. Not again.”

Michael stared at Jeremy with wide, wet eyes. “I... you  _ begged _ ?” he asked in a hushed tone. ”Why?”

“Because I love you?” Jeremy offered. “Because you needed me? Because I’m selfish and I can’t handle being around other people? The list goes on, Mikey, but the main thing is that I wanted this. I wanted to help you and take care of you.”

Michael kept staring at him before resting his hand on top of Jeremy’s. “God, you’re amazing. I just...”

“No I’m just a stubborn dummy who really loves you.” Jeremy chuckled. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up. Then I’ll help you cut an apple and we can go cuddle and watch TV, yeah?”

Jeremy watched Michael nod as he sniffled. “I... Yeah. I’m still bleeding, so it’s probably good to do that... Yeah.”

“Then let’s go do that.” Jeremy hummed, grabbing the first aid kit and getting to work.

  
  
  


Jeremy had been missing for far too long. He said he needed to get away to have an episode and he didn’t want to drag Michael into it. Standard stuff, but that was ten minutes ago. Michael needed to find him.

Jeremy had gone to Michael’s room, so that was his first port of call. He could hear something up there as he got closer, a cacophony of different voices, music, and styles all playing together at once. The closer he got, the more he could hear.

He could hear his own voice, layered into a few different songs, as well as a few others. He could hear Mr. Heere’s voice, Jeremy’s uncle Reyes’ voice, Jake Dillinger’s voice, Rich’s voice, even Christine and Chloe’s voice all blended into the chaos. And under it all, Michael heard Jeremy’s voice, singing, rapping, and more importantly, whimpering.

Michael slowly walked into this overwhelming scene (partially because there was so much noise, and he’d be overloaded if it wasn’t for Goldie). He tried to distinguish what he was hearing. It was what probably causing Jeremy to freak out, so if he knew  _ why _ it was freaking him, he could help better.

Jeremy was curled up on the floor, his wheelchair tipped over next to him. He was covering his ears, whimpering as he tried to block out the noise. 

With the door open, Michael could more clearly make out the lyrics of some of the songs. “ _ Join us and die. _ ” “ _ Did you know it was you I cried about? _ ” “ _ Remy, I’m sorry, you lost. _ ” “ _ My children must fit a mold. _ ” “ _ Bow Remy then you fall. _ ”

Oh. That wasn’t good, he was having an attack. He had to help him get out of it. 

Michael carefully walked over with Goldie and Hope, watching as Hope went right to Jeremy’s side. “Jeremy?” he asked, tearing to see if Jeremy could hear him.

Jeremy flinched and curled tighter in on himself, pressing his hands against his ears harder with a small whimper. Hope nudged him and curled up close as soon as she realized he wasn’t going to push her away, licking at his cheek gently.

Maybe he thought he was part of the songs. Yeah, that would make sense. What would help bring him out of these songs though?

He was careful as he sat down next to Jeremy, thinking a few things over as he made sure Jeremy didn’t flinch away.

Michael had only been there for a moment when Jeremy relaxed a little, reaching around to grab onto Hope then cover his ears again. Hope looked up at Michael, then over to the blanket on the bed. Michael got the message and quickly pulled the blanket over Jeremy and his dog. He relaxed further. 

Maybe... maybe if Michael could give Jeremy some music that  _ wasn’t _ from the incident, it might help. Things not connected to the event seemed like they were helping.

He thought for a minute before going for his phone. Quickly, Michael scrolled through his playlists before finding his video game music playlist. He kept it compiled from all of his and Jeremy’s favorites. This would help, right?

Tapping on the screen, Michael let the music from Pokémon start to play, slowly increasing the volume as to not overwhelm Jeremy. Michael couldn’t help but hum along with the song as well. It was his childhood, sue him.

Slowly but surely, the overwhelming music died down and Jeremy relaxed. By the time the third song came onto the playlist, His Theme from Undertale, Jeremy was no longer tense. He was still whimpering, though, and clinging to Hope with both hands. Still, maybe now Michael could actually do something and talk him out of it.

“Hey, Jeremy?” Michael asked from where he was seated. He didn’t dare move to give Jeremy an unwanted or surprising touch. There was no way Michael would scare Jeremy again.

Jeremy’s whimpers cut off abruptly, and he slowly opened his eyes. They were hazy, as if he wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings, which was odd. Jeremy’s attacks were usually that he was hyper aware of everything and it was too much for him.

“M-... Mikey?” Jeremy stammered. “When’d you get here? I thought you were-...” He whimpered and closed his eyes again, burying his face against Hope’s neck. She licked his hair.

“I was watching some TV, but you were gone for a while. I wanted to come check on you, so I did. I’m glad I did,” he assured Jeremy. “Would it be alright if I touched you?”

“You’re not gonna sing, are you?” Jeremy muttered. “You’re actually you?” Was  _ Jeremy _ having a memory issue this time? Or was it more like he was caught in some sort of flashback?

“I’m not going to sing, I promise you that,” Michael promised as he gave Jeremy a smile. “I am me, albeit with more issues than I had before this crazy shit, but it’s actually me.”

Jeremy relaxed a little more, before nodding and scooting a little closer to Michael. Hope moved with him.

He waited until Jeremy was settled to start running his fingers through Jeremy’s hair. When Jeremy relaxed a little more at the action, Michael just kept going.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, but Michael was more than happy to just sit there and help Jeremy. Jeremy had spent the past few weeks looking after Michael, both in and out of the hospital; Michael was glad he could return the favour.

“Mikey, that feels really nice,” Jeremy murmured after a bit. “Can I... can I come onto your lap please?”

“Yeah, of course you can,” Michael said as he slowly helped Jeremy to sit up and in his lap. Once Jeremy was there, he nonverbally encouraged Jeremy to lie against his chest, which evidently worked.

Jeremy snuggled down with his head resting near Michael’s heart, and the regular beat seemed to calm him down even more. He sighed happily before opening his eyes again and gazing up at Michael almost sleepily. There was much more clarity in his eyes now, they were still a little hazy but mostly clear.

“Hi there, Jeremy,” Michael murmured before pressing a few kisses to the top of his head. “How are ya?”

“Better,” Jeremy half croaked out. “That music is nice music. Not like before.”

“Yeah, it’s our favorite game music,” Michael reminded him with a smile. “Is there any other kinda music you’d wanna hear from any of my many playlists?”

Jeremy shook his head, essentially nuzzling into Michael’s chest. “Music without words is safe. When it’s got singing then it’s dangerous and it means bad things are coming.” Michael could feel Jeremy’s shiver of fear.

“I  _ do _ have an instrumental playlist,” he pointed out as he ran his other hand up and down Jeremy’s back. “But I get what you mean, even if I don’t fully understand.”

“You don’t?” Jeremy asked, seemingly oblivious to Michael’s memory issues. “I thought your memories would be coming back a little by now...” He sighed and nuzzled closer to Michael. “I’ll just have to keep you safe until you remember and can hide properly from everything.”

“And I’ll be protecting you when you aren’t doing that with me,” Michael promised him before pressing a kiss to Jeremy’s head.

“Hey Mikey? Can we nap together for a bit please? M’sleepy...”

“Yeah, of course. Just let me move us into bed, yeah? Our backs and necks and stuff’ll thank us for that later.”

  
  
  


It was a normal day of recovering with Jeremy. Jeremy had just gotten back from the hospital after getting his cast cut off his leg. His ankle was all healed, even if his chest still had issues. 

“Hey, Mikey? You feeling okay?” Jeremy asked. He was looking at Michael, who was perched on the couch, curiously. “You look kinda pale.”

“I do?” Michael asked as he looked at Jeremy. He felt fine... Why would he look pale though? “I feel fine though.”

Jeremy pressed his hand to Michael’s forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever, but... I don’t know. You don’t look well, hun.” He sounded genuinely concerned.

“I promise that I don’t have a fever. I won’t have me pass out in your arms after climbing outta where you have me placed. That’s what  _ you _ do, not me,” Michael said with a light laugh. A joke to bring the mood up.

Jeremy stiffened, eyes going wide. “What-... did you just say?” he asked slowly, voice soft.

“I said a joke,” Michael said with a raised brow. “Did I say something wrong?” Why was Jeremy concerned about what he said?

Jeremy sat down on the couch, cupping Michael’s cheek and checking him over with a sort of familiar concern. Michael only really saw that look when he was spacing, or had lost some memories. “Tell me more about last time I have a fever,” he half ordered, his tone soft but leaving no room for argument.

“Uh... Well, part of the reason you had a fever was because you were super stressed,” Michael told him as he kept his eyes on Jeremy. “You were really out of it and Reyes got you some NyQuil and Midol Fever Reducer to basically kill it off.”

“And when did we go to Uncle Reyes’? We haven’t been there since last year.” There was a sort of challenge in his voice, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

“No, we were there this past year. That was when you had your fever,” he told Jeremy. Did  _ he _ not remember this?

“You’re right.” Jeremy nodded. “What happened while we were there?” What was Jeremy going on about? It was obvious! It wasn’t even that long ago!

“We were hiding out fr-“ Wait... How did he have a memory from the, as Jeremy put it, musi-pocalypse? Since when did he have this memory? Why did he feel really heavy and gross all the sudden?

“That’s what I thought,” Jeremy murmured, wrapping his arms around Michael and pulling him close into a hug. “If this gets overwhelming, you need to tell me, okay?”

“I... OK.” He leaned against Jeremy as he rode this feeling out. Jeremy’s touch barely managed to help, and Goldie coming over and resting her head on his thigh also helped a little. God, he felt really awful.

“You’re remembering everything, aren’t you, hun?” Jeremy started running his fingers through Michael’s hair. “You start telling me what you remember, okay? Talking about it will help.”

“I- I don’t know,” Michael admitted before he remembered going to school that Monday and seeing Jeremy so freaked. He started to explain that, everything hitting him in waves in a weird way that made him want to curl up and rot. The alleyway, waiting for Jeremy to wake up, being man-handled and caught, happily working on the numbers and pleading for Jeremy to join. It all hit him and by the time it was all done, Michael just wanted death.

“Sounds like you got everything.” Jeremy’s voice was a little thick. “Told you that you’d remember...” He pressed a kiss to Michael’s forehead. “But it’s over now. You’re safe and yourself and you’re in control.”

“It... it was so awful. I was so awful t’you and he used me to hurt you,” Michael said as he clung to Jeremy. “I feel so awful after that. I just wanna curl up and stop existing until this feeling is over.”

“I don’t blame you at all for what happened, Mikey,” Jeremy assured him. “If I did, even slightly, I wouldn’t be able to be here. You and Brooke are still the only people who I can handle touching me without assistance. If I blamed you at all, I wouldn’t be able to touch you like this without freaking out.”

“I thought I was  _ helping _ you because of him,” Michael weakly said. “I just... Can I not exist for a week?”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.” Jeremy nuzzled against the top of Michael’s head. “There isn’t a way out, only through. And besides, if I  _ had _ gotten infected, at least I wouldn’t have so many issues now,” he joked about weakly before sighing softly. “What can I do for you, right now? What do you need from me to help you with this.”

“Help me to not exist for a week,” Michael muttered before sighing weakly. “I just... I need to be held. I don’t know what I need, but it’s helping.”

Jeremy didn’t reply verbally, instead just tightening his hold on Michael and pressing more kisses to the top of Michael’s head. “I love you, Mikey. You’re safe and wanted right here, right now.”

“Thank you,” he managed to get out to Jeremy before nuzzling closer. “Also, can we slowly move back to my bed? It- it’s nicer and Goldie can lie down better with us there. And Hope.”

“Sure,” Jeremy agreed. “But you’re gonna have to stand for that. I can’t pick you up. My chest isn’t healed enough for that.”

“I also don’t think you could pick me up under normal circumstances.” Michael didn’t even know if he could stand. He tried to and wobbled, only managing to stay upright thanks to Jeremy.

“Hey, I got you.” Jeremy held Michael close, then whistled for the dogs. Michael heard the little tip-taps of their claws on the floor. “Let’s get going, Mikey, c’mon.” 

The journey up was difficult, but lying in bed, curled up with Jeremy, was worth it. “You’re so handsome, Mikey. So handsome and brave and amazing. You saved me, you know. You saved me back then.”

“How did I save you?” Michael asked, honestly wondering. He had been trying to get him to  _ join _ him, unintentionally trying to ruin and doom him.

“That first song in the alleyway by Uncle Reyes’. When you got caught. You pushed me out of the way,” Jeremy murmured. “And then, you fought it. You fought it so hard, hard enough to get me to hesitate so Chloe could pull me out of there. If... if you hadn’t done either of those, I wouldn’t have made it past that encounter,” he confessed. “And you’re the only person I saw actively fight it. No one else could hold it back for almost an entire song.”

“I...” Michael took a deep breath as he sat up. “I just wanted you to be safe. I know how much you hate musicals. I didn’t want you to become a part of one.”

“And because of that, of your own strength, I didn’t. Sure, I have to sing and dance a little now, but I’m learning to deal with that.” He was clearly ignoring the incident from two days ago. “The main thing is, you fought and kept me safe, even when it, but all accounts, shouldn’t have been possible.”

“I just... I wanted to not become one of those things too. I was trying so hard not to, but I still became one.”

“And even then, Shimizu had to manipulate you into turning me,” Jeremy reminded him. “You weren’t totally on board until he literally had to reprogram you to be so. You fought even after you were infected.”

Michael took a deep breath before nodding. “I... I guess,” he murmured with a sigh.

“It’s true,” Jeremy murmured. “You wouldn’t have done it willingly, and... the police recovered copies of the code used on everybody. Your file had the most edits done to it. The fact you managed to fight thought it at all was amazing. And I saw you, I saw you there during the final battle we had. You somehow managed to shine through against all odds.”

“I did?” He didn’t remember it. He only remembered part of the ‘final battle’ and one bit where it got hazy and he felt like he was on a cloud but he could hear Jeremy through it and he managed a smidge of a smile.

“You did.” Jeremy nodded. “It was when I first started fighting back, rapping my way through it. You smiled at me, and it was you, not what Shimizu had made. Even when it was impossible, you were there helping and supporting me.” Jeremy kissed his head again. “Knowing that you were there with me, it gave me the strength to focus and keep going.”

Michael elaborated to Jeremy what he just remembered when he smiled. It was probably what Jeremy was unknowingly referring to.

“Mhmm, that sounds like the same event.” Jeremy hummed softly. “So you were there. You were there with me. See? No matter how hard he tried, Shimizu couldn’t erase you entirely. He couldn’t control you, not totally. You’re so strong, Mikey.”

“I think I’m just stubborn, not strong,” Michael murmured as he nuzzled against Jeremy. Goldie nuzzled against his leg then, and he couldn’t help but smile. She was a polite girl. Clearly, she wanted to cuddle, but she knew she couldn’t take over so she just took a little bit of unused cuddling space.

“No, you’re strong. I know for a fact you are,” Jeremy argued. “Because we both know I’m more stubborn than you are, and yet, I got erased.” Jeremy had never mentioned that part. “For a split second, he actually  _ did _ erase me. I was just... a body. I was empty. So the fact you held on at all, it’s proof of how strong you are.”

“Wait, you what? Jeremy, oh my god,” Michael whined. Why hasn’t Jeremy told him that, holy hell?

“Yep. So the fact you held on through so much more bullshit code is proof that you  _ are _ strong.” Jeremy squeezed him. “Now, I think there is a rather lovely pupper who is wanting your attention too. Do you want to invite her to join us up here?” He smiled.

“I... Yeah.” He couldn’t argue with Jeremy’s logic, even if he wanted to. Jeremy probably knew that too. “I still wanna be curled up to you and held though.”

Jeremy snorted. “As if I’d  _ actually _ let you go right now.” Jeremy shifted them so Michael’s back was pressed against Jeremy’s chest, and Jeremy’s arms were around him. It was the closest they’d been in bed together since before the whole musi-pocalypse. They’d had to keep their distance because of Jeremy’s rib. Michael forgot how much he missed being pressed, almost squished, close to Jeremy.

Goldie waited for the invitation, then instantly wormed her way up into Michael’s arms. She seemed very happy to just act as a teddy bear for now, eyes closing and tongue lolling out of her mouth in happiness.

Michael couldn’t help but snort at the sight. He went to hold her close, but before he did, he glanced back at Jeremy. “You’re wearing a sports bra or no bra right now, right? No binder?”

“No binder,” Jeremy promised. “I’m not even in a sports bra. It’s a sleep bra, like it has been since the hospital.”

“Alright, good. I forget how many different kinds of bras there are,” Michael admitted as he let himself lie back a bit, enough to where it was safe to do so. Lying against Jeremy was, honestly, so comfortable. He missed it so much, and he was glad to do so as he held his precious Goldie and snuggled against her.

Michael felt a gentle kiss pressed to the back of his neck. “You wanna just stay here and cuddle for a bit? Maybe nap? And we can talk about everything else later.”

“Stay and cuddle for now, and we’ll probably nap naturally as we cuddle,” Michael said as he shut his eyes. “If I hand you my glasses, can you put them somewhere safe? I don’t wanna accidentally smoosh ‘em.”

“Of course.” Jeremy took the glasses and Michael relaxed further. “Best part about you remembering? We get to do stuff outside the house again soon,” he mumbled sleepily. “So long as it’s stable, we can do stuff again.”

“Yeah, I didn’t even think about that. Makes sense since I still feel gross, but yeah. I hope I’ll be stable, I’m just really tired and gross right now, mm.” Michael gently scratched Goldie’s belly as he talked. “Also, can we take a bath soon?”

“Is that a question in general, or are you asking me to join you?”

“I mean, either or. When we were kids, we took baths together... Though, us being older and somewhat together’ll make the implications different, I guess.”

Michael could feel the heat on Jeremy’s cheeks as he nuzzled against the back of Michael’s neck, pressing more kisses there. “Well I’m okay with it,” he mumbled. “I’d like a bath with you.”

“I’d like one with you too. So... Think we can do that later?” Michael asked as he hummed happily. He didn’t realize kisses to the back of his neck made him so... happy and zenned out.

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Recovery part 2! They're getting better and starting to heal some of the harder things. I'm so proud of our boys. Enjoy!
> 
> And Now a word from Ari :3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> Part two of recovery! Things are slowly getting better for our boys, woo! We’re closing up on the epilogue, which is next chapter.  
> I hope you guys enjoy!

To say Jeremy was nervous was an understatement. Brooke was coming over for the first time since he got out of the hospital and Jeremy was exceedingly nervous. He was nervous because of two factors: what if they didn’t get along outside of life or death situations, and what if Michael didn’t like her?

Now, he knew that both of those were hypothetical, and most likely not an issue at all, but Jeremy was nervous and his anxiety was flaring and he couldn’t help it. 

Hope nuzzled at his hand, pressing against his palm with her blocky head. “Yeah, I know, girl.” Jeremy smiled, dropping down to cuddle her properly. “I shouldn’t worry so much. But you know me, I’m a ball of worry, anxiety, and sass.”

“What’s this about the components that make you up?” Michael asked as he stuck his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush half in his mouth. Goldie also stuck her head out, cocking her head to the side adorably.

“Worry, anxiety, and sass,” Jeremy repeated louder, loud enough for Michael to hear. “Hope was telling me to calm down a little.”

“You can’t forget the nasty,” Michael joked. “Also the furry and the gamer and the nerd-“ He yelped as he avoided the pillow tossed at him. Goldie just let the pillow bounce against her before flopping on top of it. “Rude!”

“I’m never polite. That’s why I have Hope,” Jeremy replied, sticking his tongue out and snuggling his dog. She growled happily.

“She can’t be polite for you, you need to learn to be polite,” Michael told him with a pout. “You got my dog with a pillow too! Extra rude!”

“She’s happy though,” Jeremy protested. Goldie’s tail thumped the ground in agreement. “See?” He was about to say more when the doorbell rang and suddenly all his anxieties hit him at once.

“Hold on a minute!” Michael called before sticking his head back into the bathroom, reappearing a few seconds later with no toothbrush. “C’mon Jeremy.”

Jeremy took a deep breath and struggled to his feet. The dull ache of his rib, though mostly healed, was grounding. It kept him from spiralling off into his head like he usually would.

The doorbell rang again, but there was an almost teasing edge to it. Like Brooke knew they were just by the door and was just being a shit. Sounded about right. Jeremy could almost picture her grin.

Michael gave him a reassuring smile before opening the door. Brooke was there in the cardigan Jeremy gave her, along with a dog of her own and bags. “Hi. I have offerings.”

“Your offerings are accepted, even if I don’t allow bribery for the Michael Mell Test,” Michael said with a ‘solemn’ face before letting Brooke and her dog in.

She went over to Jeremy instantly, hugged him, and started fussing over him.

“You’ve been taking care of yourself, right? You look so pale, Jere-bear, god. Am I gonna have to kick some ass, regardless of if he’s your best friend?” she muttered, cupping his cheeks. Jeremy relaxed and giggled.

“No, it’s fine, Brookie Cookie. Mikey’s been looking after me just fine, promise. He even tells me off when I tried walking on my broken ankle before we knew it was broken.” He hugged her again before looking down at the beautiful apricot colored cockapoo who was sniffing at Hope, their tail wagging. “This is Hope. And who is this lovely little fluff ball?”

“Oh! This is Muffin,” Brooke said as she squatted down and patted her dog’s head. “She’s such a sweetie and very friendly.”

“Hey Muffin.” Jeremy grinned, but he didn’t go to pat her. She was working, like Hope and Goldie. “So, time for you to get a proper introduction to Michael? He says he needs to judge you for the Michael Mell friendship test.” Jeremy giggled, offering his hand to help Brooke up. “I’ve been pleading your case, don’t you worry.” He winked conspiratorially.

“Wait, I had a test and case I needed to worry about?” Brooke questioned as he took Jeremy’s hand, letting him help her stand up.

“Mikey is protective of me. I had plenty of assholes pretend to befriend me when I was growing up, so all my friends need to pass the Michael Mell test to make sure they’re ‘worthy,’” Jeremy explained fondly. “Don’t worry. You’re awesome, and you saved me. I’m pretty sure you’ve already passed.”

“They all deserved to fail, but you don’t seem like you do,” Michael said as he extended his hand. “Michael Mell.”

“I’m Brooke,” Brooke said as she took Michael’s hand. Even if they had met before, Brooke didn’t bring it up.

Michael stared at her for a good few seconds before nodding. “Alright, she’s passed.”

Jeremy grinned. “Told you she was awesome, Mikey.” Brooke spluttered quietly, clearly flustered by Jeremy’s obvious adoration. Well, she deserved it. Brookie Cookie was one of the main reasons he was still around, and she was a big sweetheart.

Michael rolled his eyes and hummed. “You brought stuff, how can I  _ not _ like you?”

Jeremy burst out laughing. Of course Michael was swayed with the promise of food.

“Yeah! I brought snacks and stuff. Oh, and I stopped by Spencer’s and managed to get something for you. Jeremy said you liked old sodas?” Brooke reached into one of the bags and pulled out a bottle of Mountain Dew Red. She handed Jeremy a bottle of Coke as well.

Michael gasped as he took the soda and held it close. “I needed some more of this. Thank you so much. You’re definitely a contender for close friend now.”

Brooke giggled. “Glad I make the cut.” She reached over and squeezed Jeremy’s hand. “So, Jere-bear said something about you both teaching me how to play video games?”

That had Michael’s eyes lighting up. “Yeah. I can show you what I have in my collection and you can pick which one sounds the most interesting to you. I was also planning on ordering a pizza for us.”

“I brought my pills, so that sounds awesome!” Michael shot her a confused look. “Oh I’m lactose intolerant, so I have to take pills before I have anything with dairy,” she explained. “It’s a pain when my favorite thing to have is Pinkberry.”

“Oh! I couldn’t even imagine dealing with that. Bless your soul,” Michael said with a respectful nod. “I’ll order it on my laptop so we can get sides too.”

“You are amazing, Michael.” Brooke grinned, hanging off Jeremy carefully. Jeremy wrapped an arm around her waist, just to be sure she didn’t fall over. His two favorite people were getting along, this was perfect!

“You’re amazing too, from what I can tell and what Jeremy has told me about you,” Michael said before reaching down and petting Muffin as she came over. “Hello there.”

Jeremy wasn’t sure why he was worried now. Brooke fit their little dynamic perfectly, and Michael liked her. This was just awesome.

“Oh yeah. Guess what, Brookie. Michael and I are sort of together now.”

“Oh, you guys are? That’s amazing! I definitely need to give you guys something to help you celebrate,” Brooke announced, and Michael whined in mock retaliation.

“Sweetie.” Jeremy hummed, squeezing Brooke. Then he started leading her towards the living room. “Now c’mon. Let’s order pizza and start playing!”

Brooke cheered as Michael whined, though both walked into the living room with him.

  
  
  


Jeremy took a deep breath and grabbed onto Michael’s hand. “Mikey, I wanna be able to hug my dad again. But I dunno how to do it without panicking...” he murmured, leaning against Michael with a small whine. He still couldn’t deal with touches from others without panicking. It’s not that he didn’t want to touch others, it just was too much and made him feel panicky and unsafe. He wished that he knew the way forward with his issue, but came up blank every time.

"Well, how about this," Michael started as he held onto Jeremy's hand. "We go and you try with small touches first? Like touching his hand and taking slow, baby steps?"

That... could work. “Can you come with me to ask please?”

"Yeah, of course. I'm not leaving you alone in such a pinnacle point of your recovery. If you want, I can hold your hand while you do it too to help."

Jeremy nodded. That would help him stay calm  _ and _ stop any potential flailing. 

“Can we go now? He should be home and... I miss being able to be near him without freaking out.” Jeremy didn’t go home much. Being home, especially with his dad around, reminded him too much of when he got cornered and almost trapped. It made his ankles ache from the memory and panic start to build in his chest.

"Yeah, of course. Let's just walk next door together right now while you're able to do this," Michael said, intertwining their fingers. "Let's get our shoes on and go next door, yeah?"

“Yeah.” Jeremy nodded, taking another deep breath and heading to the door. Soon enough, Michael was unlocking Jeremy’s front door.

Already the hints of panic were hitting him. Memories of his fist connecting with flesh as he tried to escape. The serious looks of the parents. The almost echoey music- no, he had to focus. Jeremy squeezed Michael’s hand and they went inside together.

"Mr. Heere?" Michael called as they walked in. Hope stayed pressed to Jeremy's side, careful and close. "Jeremy and I are here."

His dad poked his head out of the kitchen. "Oh, hello boys." He was smiling, beaming actually, which helped a lot. It was a far cry from the cruel smirk he had worn during his number. "Actually, you're just in time. Just finished a number  _ and _ the cookies just came out. So you're clear and you get some sweet treats."

"Oh, sweet. Heh." Michael smiled and squeezed Jeremy's hand. "We had one a little before we came here too, so we'll be good for a while too."

"Perfect," his dad cried. "Well what can I do for you two?" It hurt the fact that he couldn't just come home and be at home anymore. There was always a reason. But this time, that reason was to get back to a point where there was no reason... that made sense, of course it did.

"I'm- er- well I..." Jeremy was struggling to find a pretty way of saying it, so he just blurted it out. "I want to be able to touch you again."

"He's been wanting to be able to touch others beside Brooke and I without panicking, so we wanted to know if we could start that process right now with you," Michael restated. "Having me here, someone he's good with touching, will help him stay calm and reassociate you as a good person he can touch."

His dad stepped out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel which he set down on the side. "Well I'd be happy to help with that." His tone was soft, again, exactly what Jeremy needed. "How do you want to do this?"

"Can we all go sit on the couch, please?" Jeremy asked quietly. He'd been so focused on Michael's recovery and general safety that he had ignored parts of his own recovery, which meant it was a little overwhelming now. Still, he wasn't backing out.

"Of course." With that, they all walked into the living room, sitting together on the couch. Michael sat on one side and his dad sat on the other. Hope lay across Jeremy's feet.

Jeremy squeezed Michael's hand before slowly reaching over to where his dad's hand laid innocently on the couch. He could do this. This was his  _ dad _ , his loving if somewhat useless dad who was trying so hard to be better. He couldn't be better if he didn't have a son around to parent.

The first brush of Jeremy's fingertips against skin sent shocks of fear shooting through him. Danger, he was in danger. He could hear his dad's voice, low and menacing in a way that was just  _ wrong _ but he pushed through the initial flinch.

If he could handle Michael, who had even less control, he could handle his dad.

It took about five minutes of slow movements and unceasing panic, but Jeremy finally managed to take his dad's hand and twine their fingers together.

"You're doing so good Jeremy," Michael encouraged, and when he glanced over, he saw Michael smiling fondly down at him. "Everything's fine, you're safe. I wouldn't ever put you in danger or let you put yourself in danger."

Jeremy nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. This was so much but at the same time, it wasn't enough. Now that safe contact had been established, he craved more. He didn't even think before he shifted closer to his dad and leaned against his arm. Jeremy was still very tense, there was no doubt about that, but he found himself slowly relaxing. His dad hadn't spoken or moved, not without Jeremy's agreement. He was in control. He was safe, right?

"Your dad is being quiet and compliant. If there is anything you want him to do, he will do it, but he won't do anything without your consent."

He was safe. Dad was safe. In this moment, Jeremy felt safe at home again. "Could you try putting your arm around me, please?" Tomorrow, hell, in an hour, he could relapse back into a worse state. He could find his home unbearable again, or he could get better and feel truly safe again.

He just knew that, cuddled up with his dad for the first time in years, with Michael and Hope both working to help him keep calm, he felt safe.

When his dad put his arm around his shoulder, Jeremy knew that he was truly safe right then and there. Michael's gentle squeeze to his hand reaffirmed it.

  
  
  


"Hey Mikey?" Jeremy asked softly as they were settling in for bed. "Did I... do something to upset you?"

Michael looked over at Jeremy then, halting in changing his clothes into his pajamas. "What do you mean?"

"It's just... you haven't called me..." Jeremy was clearly struggling with it. "You've only used Jeremy for the past, well, while."

Oh. Michael squirmed unconsciously (damnit) as he tugged his night shirt on. "Well... I remember how when I called you, uh,  _ that _ name, you'd freak out. A lot. I didn't wanna, well, do that anymore, so I've been forcing myself to stop calling you that."

Michael's expression was soft. He didn't want to freak out Jeremy, who panicked whenever someone called him Remy. So Michael avoided using that name at all. 

"Oh, well... thanks." Jeremy sighed. "But can... can we not do that anymore, please?"

“But you freak out when I call you that I don’t want to freak you out or make you panic or break down or-“

“I want to get my name back,” Jeremy cut him off softly. “Part of the reason I chose Jeremy I’m the first place was  _ because _ of that nickname.” Wait, what? Michael hadn’t known that. “I want to reclaim R-“ He took a breath. “Remy.” The shiver that passed through Jeremy was obvious, but so was his determined expression.

“I... I never knew that. That part of the reason why you chose your name,” Michael admitted. “Why?”

“I don’t know...” Jeremy shrugged, cheeks flushing. “I guess I  _ liked _ having you help me choose that part of myself. And the name, it just felt like it... fit.”

Michael let out a heavy sigh as he tried to think this all over. “I... You just reminded me a lot of Re-“ He instinctively stopped himself. “Sorry- augh.”

“It’s fine,” Jeremy assured him. “It’s... not going to be easy. Or fun. But it’s like the touch thing, I couldn’t even touch my dad at all after that first time, but I’m building up to it. We just gotta work at it.”

“I... Can I write it down or text you it? I don’t wanna say it just yet, it might be a bit much. Or would hearing it be easier than texting you it?”

“I only get triggered by it when I hear it. I’ve seen it written down plenty of times.” Jeremy shrugged. “It’s on everything I’ve given to you which I’ve signed.”

“I... Yeah, I guess,” Michael muttered as he tugged at the hem of his shirt. He didn’t want to do that to Jeremy though, to trigger him.

Jeremy reached over and squeezed his hands. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m  _ asking _ you to do this. It’s what I need so I can push past it. And besides, I’m ready. It’ll be uncomfortable, sure, but I’m sure I can handle it.” He shot Michael a small smile. “I want my name back.”

“Alright then.” Michael took a few deep breaths before sitting down on his bed with Jeremy. “I love you, Remy.”

Jeremy flinched and shivered, but he didn’t break down. A moment later, he even managed to shoot Michael a weak but genuine smile. “I love you too, Mikey.”

  
  
  


Michael was uncomfortable. Jeremy had been invited to visit his mom, and since he was cleared by the doctors and it would be the first time seeing her since the split over a year ago... Jeremy wasn't going to turn it down. Which meant Michael was going too because, full offence intended, Jeremy's mom was an asshole.

That was how he and Jeremy found themselves sitting on too plush couches in a fancy house in Long Island. Michael was picking at his sleeves, and Jeremy's mom was looking at the dogs in disgust.

"Is there no way you can just... not have them here?" she asked.

Jeremy frowned and shook his head. "No, mom, they're not pets. They're working right now. I explained everything to you  _ before _ we came over." He sighed heavily.

“Unless you have an issue you want to talk with the  _ government _ about, don’t discredit our service dogs,” Michael grumbled, even if his anxiety got a bit worse. Hey, he was still being polite about it technically. He didn’t want Jeremy dealing with too much more shit than he was already dealing with.

The former Mrs. Heere raised her hands in surrender. “No need to get hostile, Michael. I was just asking.” She didn’t like Michael and the feeling was mutual.

“Anyway, Mom. It’s... good to see you.” Jeremy did sound genuine about that. Even if he resented his mom a lot, Michael knew that he still loved her. He knew she was an ass but couldn’t find it in himself to let her go.

Michael would still accompany Jeremy, but he hoped Jeremy would let her go, if only to improve his life and mental health. He pet Goldie’s head as he glanced at Jeremy, seeing the trying smile he was giving his mom.

Her expression did soften a little. She did love Jeremy, Michael knew that, but she wasn’t meant to be a mom. 

“I’ve missed you too, hun. Now-“ She sat forward a bit. “Tell me how everything’s been. I haven’t heard anything since two months ago, when the town went quiet.” Jeremy stiffened.

“Er, yeah, about that,” he started. “How much of the police statement did you read?”

“I mean, as much as they released to the public. It was vague and that’s why I wanted to ask you about it in person,” his mom explained as she sat down in her loveseat.

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably, but he nodded. “Well, it’s the source of our condition-“

“Which I’m  _ still _ sceptical of,” his mom grumbled. That’s when Jeremy froze, expression hardening.

“What did you say?”

“I’m sceptical of this so called condition. The only details I get is that you have ‘episodes’ which you have to be alone for.” She scoffed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you made it up just so you could get a dog.”

Michael felt so angry, though Jeremy was  _ furious _ . He could feel something building up with Jeremy, Hope even whined and nudged his side to try to calm him. Oh, was he starting to have an attack?

“The government had to give everyone afflicted with this condition in town an animal. We have these dogs so we can get away and not draw everyone in the surrounding area into an episode,” Michael clarified as he rubbed Jeremy’s back. “We could easily get dogs on our own, but we needed to have these dogs and still need them in order to reintegrate into society. Jeremy wouldn’t have been able to come here if it wasn’t for you.” Hopefully him explaining this for Jeremy would help ground and calm him.

It didn’t. “You think I’m  _ faking _ ?” he spat. “You think I faked having a broken rib and a broken ankle and fucking PTSD so bad that I still can’t handle being touched?” He stood and stomped towards his mom, his semi-permanent limp more pronounced. “You think we fucking faked going through hell and back just to get some fucking animals?” 

“I never said that, I just-“ He cut her off.

“You think we fake the loss of control we have to deal with every few  _ hours _ ? Or the fact that I had to literally dance on my broken bones?” Hope was pawing at him and even tugging at his shirt, trying to get him to leave, but Jeremy wouldn’t be swayed.

Michael got up too, taking Jeremy’s hand and carefully tugging his hand. “Jeremy, she isn’t worth it-“

Jeremy actually shrugged him off, tugging his hand away. “No, this is enough. I’ve put up with you belittling me, insulting me, even fucking misgendering me for goddamn  _ years _ because I thought that maybe you just didn’t know better. Guess what? I’m finally washing my hands of you and leaving you with a little  _ gift _ .” Music started from nowhere and Jeremy’s mom started cowering, looking around in fear.

He knew exactly what Jeremy was doing, but he just had to ask, “Jeremy, what are you doing? No, please don’t do this.”

“Feel free to leave, Michael, but this is  _ my _ solo.” Jeremy was set.

“ _ You think we’re faking? You think I’ve lied? I went through hell on Earth, and Michael almost died! _ ” Jeremy’s voice was- well, it was beautiful and angry and powerful in a way Michael had never heard from him before. His words were fast and sharp, each syllable rolling off his tongue like a sharpened knife.

Michael didn’t want to leave Jeremy. He just didn’t want Jeremy to break down later because of his singing, by forcing it, but he was going and he sounded good. Instead of leaving, Michael let his body hum and sing along with the background melody of Jeremy’s solo. All the while, Mrs. Heere found herself standing up, obviously not of her own accord, with wide eyes as she herself started to hum and sing the background melody as well. She was more than freaked, and Michael couldn’t help but be proud. Good. She got to experience some of what Jeremy had to go through on a day-to-day basis for this song.

“ _ This is bigger and worse than you could ever know. _ ” Jeremy started circling his mom, eyes narrowed as she was forced to move to the center of the room. Hope followed Jeremy, knowing she couldn’t stop it but offering her support by staying in constant contact.

“ _ I was fucking alone, it was a one man show! _ ” His mom’s eyes widened somewhat, but not in fear. It was more in a belated sort of understanding. She must be realizing that Jeremy had to go through this sort of thing totally alone at points.

Michael could control his movement, so he stayed behind Jeremy’s mom as he continued the background melody. He tried his best to offer comfort in the moment, but he knew he wouldn’t truly be able to until after the song was over.

“ _ Any music sends us freaking, our singing is much worse. _ ” Jeremy stopped in front of his mom, scowling. “ _ You think this is a game? This is a fucking curse! _ ”

Michael knew that his parts were coming as the ensemble, so he got ready.

“ _ You don’t know what it’s like, having no control! Being a puppet on a string, never being whole! _ ” Well she did now.

“ _ No matter what we do, we’re stuck like this _ .” Michael had an idea on where this was going, so he walked over to stand beside Jeremy, on the side without Hope. He could also tell he was almost done too, so he needed to be there for when Jeremy finished.

“ _ Don’t say another word! _ ” Michael put his finger up and shushed Jeremy’s mom loudly, almost enough to cover the end bars of the music. “ _ Your silence is bliss. _ ”

The music ended and Jeremy’s mom could move again. She stumbled backwards and fell into her chair, panting.

Jeremy remained standing, glaring down at her as he started shaking and hot, angry tears started streaming down his face.

“How’s that for fucking faking?” His voice cracked halfway through. Yeah, he definitely needed Michael’s help now.

Michael carefully took Jeremy, holding him close before pressing a few kisses to his head. “I think we should get going. This has been a very overwhelming visit. If there’s a next time, maybe it can be better,” Michael said as, with his free hand, he took out his phone to text Mr. Heere to come pick them up from wherever he was parked out nearby. “Thanks for the trust and understanding, Mrs. Heere. Always a pleasure to see you. We’re going to wait outside for Remy’s dad to come pick us up.”

As usual, Jeremy shivered at hearing his nickname, but it didn’t send him into a panic. He was getting better.

Jeremy’s mom looked torn, and she stood and reached out to stop them. “Wait! I didn’t realize it was so bad-“ Hope growled at her, knowing that it was her fault that Jeremy was freaking out. Jeremy’s mom stopped in her tracks.

“That’s just it, mom. We tried to tell you it was,” Jeremy muttered before letting Michael lead him out. He leaned heavily against him as they stood outside, with the dogs on either side. Jeremy clung to Michael and sobbed.

Michael let him cry it out, holding him close and running a hand through his hair. He gave words of encouragement and comfort to Jeremy as he thought what just happened over. Jeremy purposefully triggered a musical episode. Somehow, he could, and he was definitely the first person to do that. Maybe... They could learn to cope and control this in some way.

They could talk about it later though, maybe on the way back to New Jersey. For now, Michael just held Jeremy and let him cry it out. He did more than just trigger an episode, he stood up to his mom for the first time and that was probably the bravest thing of all.

  
  
  


Michael couldn’t help but have his stomach churn as he was looking over the list of places he and Jeremy both applied to for college. Could they even go to college now? Would the college accommodate them?  _ Could _ the colleges accommodate? These questions and more made Michael feel so nauseated.

He heard the tippy-tappies of another dog coming in, and felt someone wrap their arms around him lovingly. 

“Hey hun, what’re you up to?” Jeremy asked, pressing a kiss to Michael’s cheek. If he had been less panicked, he’d have probably squealed at the domestic feeling it gave him.

“I’m looking at the list of colleges we applied to,” Michael said, showing him the list he had written out. “And I’m just... wondering about the future, I guess.”

Another kiss and the arms tightened around him sweetly. “Worried about how we’ll cope?”

“That’s... part of it. I’m wondering about if colleges will or won’t accept us ‘cause of our condition, how they could or could not accommodate us, and a lot of other things,” he admitted as he glanced back at Jeremy.

“We’ll find somewhere,” Jeremy assured him. “Our condition counts as a disability according to the government, so there will be  _ somewhere _ that will accommodate us. Not to mention, we’re learning to control it now, right?” He kissed Michael’s cheek again. “Which means even if they won’t, we’ll accommodate ourselves. We’re not letting this dictate our lives, remember?”

“We’re not, but I’m worried about our college acceptance because of it. What if we don’t get into any of the colleges we wanted to go to?”

“Then we’ll have to go somewhere else.” Jeremy sighed. “But I don’t think that would be a problem. We were already looking at getting a service dog for me, remember? For my anxiety.” Jeremy nuzzled against Michael. “Which means the places we looked at and applied for are all really good about disabilities. They were ones that not only allowed service dogs, they had features to support them around campus. I’m sure that at least one of them will be accepting when you consider that aspect.”

Michael sighed as he looked down at the list again. “I... yeah, I guess.” He glanced back at Jeremy then with a raised brow. “Can’t Hope help you with your anxiety already? Wasn’t that part of her training?”

“That was. We were looking before all this, remember? We started thinking about college last summer, dude.” Jeremy giggled. “But yes, Hope is an amazing pupper who looks after me perfectly.” Jeremy extracted a hand to reach down and stroke Hope’s head. She growled happily.

“Oh! Right. Your wording confused me for a second,” Michael murmured as he rested his head against Jeremy’s chest, leaning back a little as he did so. “Hey, we’re about to hit our summer before senior year now. I have the right to be anxious and nervous.”

“You do.” Jeremy nodded. “But as your totally devoted boyfriend, I have the right to come and calm you down.” He chuckled, kissing Michael’s forehead.

Michael couldn’t help but grin at that. “I guess you do, but just... I’m a mess of a human being, you know this,” he weakly ‘argued’ before shifting a bit how he was resting against Jeremy so he was properly snuggled against his chest.

“So am I.” Jeremy smiled down at him. “But our messes sort of line up to cancel each other out. So when you’re freaking out, I come and fix it.” Michael was comfortable and unable to stop himself from relaxing. “Just like you do for me.”

“I mean, I don’t think two messes canceling each other works like that, but everything else you said was true,” Michael said as he felt Goldie shift to lie against him and snuggle close to. The pressure was relaxing and nice.

“I dunno Mikey.” Jeremy hummed. “Whenever you’re freaking out, I find whatever I was panicking about seems to fade away entirely. Maybe it’s just that looking after each other is more important that whatever mess my brain decides to focus on.”

“I think that’s more accurate ‘cause our messes don’t both cancel out. One just cancels the other out while the other is still there,” Michael elaborated before finding his eyes shutting. He didn’t mind, so he let it happen.

“You’re a pedantic ass, Mikey,” Jeremy cooed fondly. He started playing with Michael’s hair as more and more kisses were pressed to Michael’s cheek. Any remaining worry was just melting away with all this gentle, loving treatment. God, Jeremy was so good to him. It was hard to imagine that he ever believed Jeremy didn’t feel the same when he regularly just loved to adore Michael like this.

Well, Jeremy didn’t have to worry about his feelings not being reciprocated now, so it actually wasn’t  _ too _ hard to imagine. “Remind me what ‘pedantic’ means again, Mr. Big Brain.”

“Very concerned with minor details.” Jeremy chuckled. “Basically, if I didn’t say it perfectly, it’s not good enough.” The fingers in Michael’s hair didn’t slow and Jeremy was just lovely and warm in the best ways.

“Ok, you’re just being rude to me now. Attacking me like this,” Michael playfully whined as he pouted up at Jeremy. “Not rad.”

“But it’s true~” Jeremy cooed, leaning down and kissing Michael’s nose. “God, I love you Mikey.” He grinned.

Michael couldn’t help but stare up at Jeremy like the lovestruck fool he was. “I love you too Remy, with all of my heart and soul.”

For the first time since the whole mess of musicals started, Jeremy didn’t flinch when he heard his name. He just kept smiling down at Michael, looking as lovestruck and happy as Michael.

  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! So! Our boys finally made it out of the nightmare and have been through one hell of a long recovery. I honestly love this chapter so much because of growth and happiness and the fluff we deserve after all that pain.  
> It's been interesting having this style of song fic, but I've really enjoyed it, and I've loved the positive response we've gotten from it too. ILYSM guys! And such a great way to celebrate my birthday (it's in 2 days!)  
> It might be a while before we post again, we need to do some more writing which /isn't/ our original story. It's a whole book series and I'm so super stoked for it.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this final chapter and final song!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person and the best writing buddy in the whole universe :3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> End of the fic and another one of my favorite chapters, even if it’s just the epilogue. This was a journey and it did have a slow end, but Mara and I wanted to test that out. I also hope you all are doing well and safe.  
> We might have more space between this fic and the next compared to before since we don’t have as many fics stockpiled. For a while, Mara and I have been working on a book series, so that’s caused fic writing delays. Just a heads up.  
> I hope you guys enjoy this last, soft chapter. Love you all!

Jeremy tapped the end of his pen in a familiar rhythm on the desk in front of him. The lecture was almost done and then he and Michael, who was likely already outside, could spend the rest of the day cuddled up before the weekend started. Hope seemed to recognize the rhythm, since she rested her head on his lap and looked up at him questioningly.

It was the rhythm of Jeremy’s go-to song when he was in a good mood. He’d had his little episode around his lunch break, just after seeing Michael, so the tune was still fresh in his head. He was grateful for the college providing him use of the dance studios when he needed to get a number out, though. It made things so much easier with having a private place on campus to go to.

Finally, the professor finished up his congratulations to the class for their last quiz and let them go. Jeremy let everyone else pass before giving Hope a quick kiss and standing. He was the last one out, still not liking having to deal with crowds if he could avoid it. 

Michael was already outside, just as expected. Jeremy beamed at him and practically fell into his waiting arms as Hope and Goldie greeted each other just as happily.

“Hi Remy,” Michael said as he reached forward and let their lips meet in a soft, welcoming kiss. “How was class? You look pretty happy.” He glanced to the side and Jeremy looked there as well. Jeremy saw Goldie give Hope a lick across her nose before staying pressed against Michael’s side. “Hope seems pretty happy too. What a good working girl.”

“I had a great number during lunch, I passed the quiz with amazing grades,  _ and _ I get to spend the rest of the day with you,” Jeremy cooed. “Happy doesn’t begin to cover it.” Even after over a year of being together, they were still just as mushy and hopelessly in love as when they started. “And Hope has been the best, as usual. She even helped me when I got caught in a crowd and started getting uncomfortable.”

“She did? Well, she deserves a big treat when we get back to our dorm and cook.” Normally, freshman got small dorms with no kitchen or bathroom or anything. Thanks to their case and to reduce the risk of having others caught in the middle of random numbers, they got an upperclassman dorm for the two of them with a kitchen, private bathroom, and a living room. It was great. “She still loves the PB kongs, right?”

“She does.” Jeremy nodded. He leaned up and kissed Michael, lingering for a moment. “How about after we cook, we just go nap for a bit. I’m up for a bit of sleepy cuddles after working hard all week.” He grinned.

“I am more than ready for that,” Michael told Jeremy before kissing his head. “I got my homework done for this weekend already so I’m planning on cuddling with you and replaying Pokémon Shield.”

“Total restart?” Jeremy asked as they started walking together, still holding each other close. Jeremy barely noticed his slight limp because of how Michael was holding him.

“Eeyup. I wanna try with a different starter and team than my first playthrough when the game came out,” Michael explained as he walked out of the building with Jeremy.

Oh, that sounded like fun. “Well how about I get out Sword and we make it a party?” Jeremy grinned. “We can spend all of tomorrow playing since I did the shopping yesterday.” They had plans with Brooke and Christine on Sunday, a double dinner date at a nice place in town. Michael even got his hair cut for the occasion.

“Oh, yes. That’ll be so much fun,” Michael cheered before a few kisses were placed on Jeremy’s head. Jeremy couldn’t help but melt at that. “Maybe we can order some pizza tomorrow since we can use a fifty percent off code on it.”

“Mmm, yeah, let’s pull out all the stops,” Jeremy agreed. He gazed up at Michael lovingly. “So when we get home, what do you want to eat? I’m up for cooking today if you wanna help.”

“Yeah, I can help.” For a moment, Michael hummed in thought. “What stuff do we have as options?”

Jeremy hummed. “Well I’ve got some frozen chicken which is all prepared. Lemon and rosemary. We could have that with some fries maybe, and some steamed veggies?” Jeremy had been in a cooking mood after shopping yesterday, so he prepared a lot of meals so they’d be easy to cook later.

“You can have the veggies, I’ll have the fries,” Michael offered as he took out his student ID that also worked to let them into their dorm building and dorm room. “But that sounds good.”

“Like hell you’re stealing my fries.” Jeremy snorted as they headed into their building. Ah, it was lovely and warm in here, which was a nice change from the slight fall chill in the air.

“I didn’t say I was stealing your fries. I- When I said ‘the’ fries, I meant that I’d only be having fries. My bad,” Michael said as he waved to whatever desk worker was at the front desk.

“Hmm, fine, you get a pass.” Jeremy hummed, holding back a chuckle. “But you’re on thin ice.” He pressed a kiss to Michael’s cheek as they headed towards their room. They were lucky enough to be on the first floor to be able to let the dogs out easily. Honestly, for all Michael’s worrying, the college had been very accommodating.

“Th- So rude,” Michael whined as he leaned part of his weight against Jeremy. “You don’t need to be so mean to me! Jerk!”

Jeremy cackled as he took Michael’s ID and opened the door to their dorm room. He unclipped Hope’s leash with one hand. “Hope, break.” Hope shot off and started doing laps around the living room, as she always did after lectures. “Of course I’m a jerk, Mikey. I’m the main character according to a lot of people from town. I have to be taught a lesson to redeem myself to complete my character arc.” He liked making musical jokes these days. He actually started enjoying them again, after living in one for so long.

“But the arc is over in terms of the musical. This is after the fact. You should’ve become a better person already and have redeemed yourself,” Michael pointed out as he shut the door behind them and let Goldie off leash with his free hand. “Break.” Goldie bolted off, chasing after Hope into the living room. Thanks to them having the disability room on this floor, their rooms were larger than the average room, living room included.

“No,  _ that _ musical was about me saving the world.  _ This _ musical is about my growth as a person.” Jeremy grinned, untangling himself from Michael and heading to the kitchen. He started digging around in the freezer for the chicken breasts he prepared. “It’s the sequel. And we’re not even at the intermission yet, so I  _ can’t _ be redeemed.”

“That sounds like bullshit but alright,” Michael mused as he followed him to the kitchen that was connected to the living room. Instead of following him into the kitchen, Michael sat down on their big couch.

“I thought you were going to help,” Jeremy called as he put the chicken into the microwave to defrost. “You’re the nice one, you’re  _ supposed _ to stick to your word.”

“You were mean to be so this is payback until you properly apologize,” Michael called back. From the doorway, Jeremy watched Michael curl up on the couch and under a blanket.

“Michael,” Jeremy whined. Then he huffed, going over to wash his hands before heading to the living room. “Michael dearest, love of my life and  _ clear _ fan favorite, I’m so sorry,” he cooed, draping himself over Michael. “Can you forgive me for being such a grump?”

Michael playfully hummed under his little blanket barrier as he glanced up at Jeremy, only his eyes and above sticking out from under the blanket. “If you can make me a sundae after dinner, sure.”

“Anything for you, my love.” Jeremy kissed Michael’s forehead and held back his giggles. He had always been dramatic, but it seemed to be even worse than normal recently. Maybe it was just because he was so happy with his life.

“So... Am I the love interest or the best friend in this musical?” Michael teasingly asked, his eyebrows raising as he raised the question.

“Why can’t you be both?” Jeremy grinned. “That’s what people online would say anyway. You should see some of the stuff I’ve seen for broadway shows.” He shuddered. “People ship the founding fathers, Michael. It’s a lot.”

“Yeah, that’s weird. Really weird,” Michael said around a laugh. “Not a good kinda weird, in my opinion, but everyone is entitled to their stuff as long as it isn’t hurting anyone or stepping over too many boundaries.”

Jeremy giggled as he got comfy on Michael. Even if this was only for a minute, he was going to enjoy it. 

“Yeah. Anyway, you’re the best friend turned love interest. With a side of hard pining and two years of slow burn.” Jeremy giggled, snorting a little with how hard he was laughing. It was an ugly sound, but Michael seemed to love it judging by his (presumably) bright grin.

“And the other side had a year of slow burn and hard pining, so it’s  _ real _ bad,” Michael agreed as he laughed. From what Jeremy could tell, he could hear Michael’s grin in his laugh and overall tone of voice.

Jeremy leaned up and kissed him again, still giggling. “Ready for some more of that sweet payoff with some domestic situations?” He rubbed their noses together through the blanket. “It’ll involve lots of fries for you.”

“Oooh, yes please,” Michael hummed, presumably grinning big time right then and there.

Jeremy hopped to his feet. “Then let’s get cooking!” He darted off to the kitchen to start chopping some carrots. If it was just him having veg, he was making honey carrots. They were his favorite. 

He had just set up the board and started peeling the first carrot when he felt Michael wrap his arms around Jeremy’s waist and hook his chin over Jeremy’s shoulder. “Is the promise of fries enough for you?” he teased softly, leaning back onto his boyfriend with a happy hum.

“Enough to get up, but maybe not enough to actually cook,” Michael murmured as he leaned his head against Jeremy’s. “I’m sleepy. I’ve had classes and did all my homework all day today  _ before _ waiting for you.”

Jeremy chuckled softly. “Well you can stay there if you turn on the radio. There’s a lovely classical music station which I’ve been enjoying listening to, and it’s still vaguely romantic enough to fit.”

“Mm, fiiine.” He felt Michael shift before music started to fill the dorm. “You owe me a few kisses for doing that for you. Being a nice person only pays so much.”

Jeremy put down the carrot, which he’d finished peeling, and turned in Michael’s arms to face him. He leaned up and kissed Michael slowly on the lips, the two swaying a little to the music.

They were only interrupted from their kiss with the microwave beeping and the dogs judging them. Michael pulled back, whining as he looked down at Hope and Goldie. “Hey, you lovebirds, don’t interrupt the other lovebirds in this dorm. Rude.”

Hope yipped and the two bolted off, probably to go and cuddle up together on their bed. Jeremy giggled and reached over to turn on the oven. They could have a nice slow-cooked dinner together tonight. It was still pretty early after all, and he was enjoying this. 

“They’re just jealous since we’re getting chicken and fries.” He rubbed their noses together before reconnecting their lips. Michael  _ had _ said kisses, as in plural, after all. That was Jeremy’s excuse and he was sticking to it.

After kissing for a bit, Michael pulled back again and caught his breath. “I think the oven’s good,” he murmured. “We should get the fries out so they can cook with the chicken when we put that in too.”

Jeremy pecked Michael’s lips before grinning. “You get the trays, I’ll get the food?”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you want me to bend down and get it, aren’t you?”

“You’ve got a cute butt.” Jeremy grinned as he pulled back and went to grab the fries from the freezer.

“You’re nasty,” Michael teased and whined as he squatted down to get the two trays.

“Of course I am. It’s  _ me _ .” 

It didn’t take long for them to set up everything and get the food into the oven. Jeremy was just washing his hands when the music ended and the news came on. Huh, odd. This station only ever had the news for really big stories.

“Samuel Shimizu, the mastermind of the Musical Takeover in Middleborough, New Jersey, has finally been sentenced in the space of only twelve minutes. After a year and a half recovery from his injuries and a full psychological analysis, the man has been sentenced to prison. He has been given four life sentences without bail, and it is shaping up to be a hard time for him. To the people of Middleborough who his plans affected, we wish you the best and are pleased to announce that he will never again be able to hurt or impact you or your loved ones. And now, back to our regularly scheduled music.”

Jeremy was frozen, the hand towel almost dropping from his hand as he tried to process what he just heard.

He barely registered Michael muttering something before he heard him cheering. “Remy, he’s finally put away!” Michael’s hand rested against his arm as the sound of tip-taps crossed the floor into the kitchen. “We don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“He’s... gone? As in actually, forever  _ gone _ ?” Jeremy looked up at Michael. “We’re finally free of him for good?”

“We are,” Michael said as he took Jeremy’s hands and held onto them right. “He’s gone for good.”

Jeremy squeezed Michael’s hands and pulled him into a tight hug. “He’s gone and we’re finally safe!” Safe was the right word. For all his comfortable behavior and relaxed attitude, the fact Shimizu was still technically a free man played in the back of his head constantly. His anxiety wouldn’t let that fact go. Now, with the knowledge that Shimizu was gone for good, the niggling voice finally was silenced. Jeremy had never felt more at peace.

“We are safe,” Michael confirmed and echoed as he brought Jeremy closer, squeezing him before kisses were placed against his head. “We don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“We’re-“ Jeremy hiccuped a little. “-we’re  _ safe _ and he’s gone and-“ Yeah, he was crying a little now, no doubt. “We’ve got the rest of our lives to be safe and happy and-“ Jeremy looked up at Michael. “I’m going to marry you one day.” 

Fear had kept him firmly anchored in the present, too firmly, but now, with safety from their tormentor guaranteed, Jeremy could see everything clearly for the first time. He and Michael were safe. They actually  _ could _ have a full life together and never need to worry about losing each other thanks to that madman ever again. That nightmare was finally over and Jeremy knew he never wanted to even touch it again.

Michael’s cheeks warmed before he let out a wet laugh. “And I’m gonna marry you one day, if you’ll let me have that honor,” he whispered to Jeremy as he rested his head on top of Jeremy’s. “We’re going to live together and have an amazing life and be happy and safe and content and so many other good things.”

“We’re gonna have that  _ all _ ,” Jeremy agreed, practically melting in Michael’s hold. “We’re safe now. And we have the rest of forever to be happy.”

Jeremy ended up choosing not to finish off the carrots in favor of just clinging to Michael until dinner was ready. They stood in the kitchen, holding each other and revelling in the fact that they had a future which never needed to include Shimizu again. 

They ate dinner on the couch, curled up close together, and got ready for bed soon after. It was early, but they were going to cuddle and nap and watch YouTube on Michael’s laptop until late. It was their Friday night tradition.

They had managed to get a big bed with their room, saying that they’d always sleep together, which made these cuddle sessions easier. Michael was opening his laptop, humming a soft tune under his breath as he turned his laptop on. Goldie and Hope were both cuddled up in their big doggie bed, passed out and snoring together.

They weren’t due another number for a while, so Jeremy just let himself relax into the soft melody. He nuzzled close to Michael and tucked himself under Michael’s chin, as he often did these days. It was a comfy spot and nothing anyone else said could convince him otherwise. Michael’s arms wrapped his arms around Jeremy, barely pausing in his quest to set up YouTube. This was easy now given how often it happened.

“I love you, Mikey,” Jeremy hummed quietly, just enjoying the moment.

“I love you too, Remy,” Michael echoed with love and admiration evident in his voice. He pressed a few kisses to the top of Jeremy’s head as he kept tapping with one hand on his keyboard and mousepad.

The next hour and a half was filled with videos and giggles and murmured jokes and joy. Jeremy wouldn’t trade these moments for anything, and he was more than happy to just enjoy it.

Still, it was getting late and Jeremy was starting to get tired. A full day of lectures and a lab was always enough to exhaust him, and it was starting to catch up on him.

Michael seemed to realize that since he was putting the laptop away before Jeremy could even yawn.

“You ready to pass the hell out now, Remy?” Michael asked, a hint of a teasing tone in his voice.

“Just about,” Jeremy agreed, letting Michael guide him to lie down. He couldn’t complain since Michael was holding him so sweetly, and his touch was warm and gentle and-

He could feel a number brewing. He could feel the music building under his skin ever so slightly, ready to come out. They really  _ did _ need to do one before bed so they didn’t wake up later, but... he was too sleepy to be able to start it without making a fool of himself. Damnit.

“ _ Although I want to sleep, I can’t just yet. _ ” Michael had to have felt the number too. He was smiling so fondly down at Jeremy, not even needing much of any background music besides the acoustics the room gave his voice. “ _ Because, if I do, I’d so regret- _ “ Michael scooted how Jeremy was so they were facing each other. “ _ -not being able to admire you. _ ”

Michael scooted forward a little, still holding onto him so sweetly as he pressed their foreheads together. “ _ I’m so lucky to have you still, and I just need to spill just how much I love you. _ ”

Jeremy was grateful for the soundproofing their dorm had, since this was a very intimate and tender song. Normally it just helped keep people from being involved, but he was even more glad for it now.

Jeremy found that it was easy to join in now since Michael had started. The words flowed easily from his lips.

“ _ I think you’ll find that I’m the lucky one. Your touch is a current, set to stun. _ ” He ran his fingers over Michael’s hands, eyes closing in contentment. “ _ I’d happily stay here with you all day. Just be happy and calm and chill. _ ” Music didn’t scare him anymore, and especially not when he was singing with Michael. “ _ And I just need to spill, just how much I love you. _ ” Jeremy leaned forwards and pecked Michael’s lips, taking a breath before they joined together, their voices blending in a beautiful harmony.

“ _ I’m so lucky to have you. _ ” Jeremy was so lucky to have Michael in his life, especially like this. “ _ And I don’t know what I’d do if we had to be apart. _ ” Jeremy couldn’t imagine his life without his best friend. “ _ That would break my heart. _ ” It would.

“ _ But we are together now. _ ” Against all odds, they fought the literal end of the world and ended up together somehow. “ _ And I would, right now, make my vow. _ ” He would. He’d happily marry Michael tomorrow, if that’s what Michael wanted. He was ready to spend the rest of their lives together. “ _ If it meant we’d be together, forever, just me and you. _ ”

“God, I love you,” Michael whispered, pressing a quick, fleeting kiss to Jeremy’s lips before pulling back to smile sweetly at him. Michael’s tender, loving look made Jeremy’s heart skip a beat.

“I love you too, Mikey. More than anything else.” Jeremy smiled sleepily at Michael before leaning up and connecting their lips again. He had enough energy for this, then they could sleep. Jeremy would be more than happy to just drift off in the arms of the man he loved. After all, in his opinion, the best musicals had happy endings.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Do you like our works? Check out our new Tumblr. It's the best place to find out about our newest projects and stories, so be sure to check us out there if you like our work and want to support us! Here's a link so you can check it out yourself: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like our works? Check out our Tumblr. It's the best place to find out about our newest projects and stories, so be sure to check us out there if you like our work and want to support us! Here's a link so you can check it out yourself: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical


End file.
